Country has already registered 3 infections in the first months of the year; suspicion notifications grew 23% by 2024
Confirmed measles cases in Brazil in the first months of 2025 light a warning. Until the 9th Epidemiological Week (23.FEV – 1st.mar), the country has already registered 3 infections: 2 cases in Rio de Janeiro and 1 imported in Brasilia.
The increase occurs a few months after Brazil recovered in November 2024 the status of (Pan American Health Organization).
Although the number of confirmations is still low, suspicious case notifications have been growing. In 2024, there was a 23% increase over the previous year, from 1,827 records in 2023 to 2,248 the following yearaccording to data from the ( Poder360.
In the same period, the country recorded 4 confirmed cases of the disease, 3 being imported and 1 of unknown origin.
The advancement of the disease also worries internationally. According to a rapid risk assessment (RRA) released by PAHO on Monday (24.mar.2025), the cases in the region of the Americas increased 5.5 times this year. Read A (PDF – 522 KB).
Among the epidemiological weeks 1 and 11 (until March 15), 507 infections were confirmed, compared to 91 in the same period as 2024.
The most affected countries are:
Measles symptoms and complications
Measles is an acute and highly contagious feverish disease that can affect people of any age. The transmission occurs through direct contact with respiratory secretions of infected people, scattered when speaking, coughing or sneezing.
Main symptoms:
The disease initially manifests with high fever (above 38.5 ° C) and red spots on the body, accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms:
- Dry cough;
- Eye irritation (conjunctivitis);
- dripping or clogged nose;
- intense evil.
In addition to characteristic symptoms, measles can lead to serious complications, which may result in permanent sequelae or even death.
Possible complications:
According to the Ministry of Health, some of the main complications associated with measles include:
- Pneumonia (lung infection) – About 1 in 20 children with measles may develop pneumonia, the most common cause of measles death in young children;
- acute otitis media (ear infection) – It is about 1 in 10 children with measles and can result in permanent hearing loss;
- Acute encephalitis (brain inflammation) – 1 to 4 in 1,000 children may develop this complication and 10% of these may die;
- death – 1 to 3 in every 1,000 sick children may die from complications of the disease.
A vaccination is the main form of prevention It is essential to avoid outbreaks of the disease.
