Dengue is a disease that can affect all age groups, but some groups are more susceptible to developing serious infections and complications that can lead to death.
Given the current epidemiological scenario — Brazil is approaching 700,000 probable cases of dengue, with 122 confirmed deaths from the disease in 2024 — it is essential to understand who should pay even more attention to the symptoms. According to the Ministry of Health, the main risk groups for dengue fever are:
- Patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure;
- Elderly people over 65 years old;
- Infants;
- Children up to 2 years old;
- Pregnant women.
People with comorbidities, such as chronic diseases, are more likely to experience greater severity and mortality from dengue, while the elderly may have a compromised immune system compared to younger people.
According to SOGESP (Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the State of São Paulo), dengue is more serious in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women and is associated with higher maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality.
Infant babies and children up to two years of age are at greater risk because symptoms can be confused with other common infections in their age group, in addition to identifying warning signs being more challenging, as little ones cannot express what they are feeling.
What are the warning signs and when to see a doctor?
Dengue, transmitted by mosquitoes Aedes aegypti, causes symptoms such as high fever (above 38 ºC), muscle pain and pain behind the eyes. In more serious cases, it can lead to the appearance of red spots on the skin, intense abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding in the mucous membranes, gums and nose and a drop in blood pressure, symptoms that characterize hemorrhagic dengue fever, the most serious.
Warning signs of dengue usually appear after the febrile period, with the decline of the fever, between the third and seventh day of symptoms, and are usually more common after the second infection (there are four serotypes of the dengue virus, which makes it possible to reinfection).
Warning signs suggest extravasation of plasma from blood vessels, indicating a hemorrhagic or shock condition. When noticing these symptoms, it is essential to seek medical help.
In the most serious cases, treatment can be carried out in a hospital environment, with the patient admitted. When serious health complications occur, such as cardiocirculatory failure, the person may be admitted to an ICU (intensive care unit).
Source: CNN Brasil
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