Resumo Objetivo: descrever a experiência e os resultados preliminares do Comitê de Investigação de Óbitos por Arboviroses no Ceará, Brasil, em 2017. Métodos: o Comitê investiga e discute todos os casos suspeitos de óbitos por arboviroses notificados pela vigilância epidemiológica. Resultados: foram notificados 443 óbitos suspeitos de arboviroses e 220 (49,7%) foram confirmados; destes, 88,2% por chikungunya e 11,8% por dengue; a mediana de idade dos óbitos por chikungunya foi mais elevada, quando comparada à da dengue (77 versus 56 anos), e o tempo de evolução até o óbito também foi mais prolongado, quando comparado ao da dengue (38 versus 12 dias); para o encerramento dos casos, a mediana foi de 54,5 dias; em 2017, o Ceará confirmou 80,4% dos óbitos por chikungunya no Brasil. Conclusão: a análise dos óbitos mostrou que o CHIKV foi o responsável pela maior parte dos óbitos por arboviroses no estado do Ceará, em 2017.

Abstract Objective: to describe the experience and preliminary results of the Arbovirus Death Investigation Committee in Ceará, Brazil, in 2017. Methods: the Committee investigates and discusses all suspected cases of arbovirus deaths reported by the epidemiological surveillance service. Results: a total of 443 suspected arbovirus deaths were reported, 220 (49.7%) of which were confirmed; of these, 88.2% were from chikungunya and 11.8% from dengue; the median age of chikungunya deaths was higher when compared to dengue (77 versus 56 years) and the time until death was also longer when compared to dengue (38 versus 12 days); median time for case closure was 54.5 days; in 2017, Ceará confirmed 80.4% of Brazilian chikungunya deaths. Conclusion: the investigation of deaths showed that CHIK viruses were responsible for the majority of arboviral deaths in the state of Ceará, in 2017.

Resumen Objetivo: describir la experiencia y los resultados preliminares del Comité de Investigación de Óbitos por Arbovirus desarrollada en Ceará, Brasil, en 2017. Métodos: el comité discute los casos sospechosos de muertes por arbovirus notificados por la vigilancia epidemiológica. Resultados: se notificaron 443 óbitos sospechosos y 220 (49,7%) fueron confirmados; de estos, 88,2% por chikungunya y 11,8% por dengue; el promedio de edad de los fallecimientos por chikungunya fue más elevado (77 versus 56 años) y el tiempo de evolución hasta el óbito más prolongado, en comparación con el dengue (38 versus 12 días); para el cierre de los casos el promedio fue de 54,5 días; en 2017, Ceará confirmó 80,4% de las muertes por chikungunya en Brasil. Conclusión: El análisis de muertes mostró que CHIKV fue responsable de la mayoría de las muertes por arbovirus en el estado de Ceará, en 2017.

Resumo Objetivo: descrever a experiência e os resultados preliminares do Comitê de Investigação de Óbitos por Arboviroses no Ceará, Brasil, em 2017. Métodos: o Comitê investiga e discute todos os casos suspeitos de óbitos por arboviroses notificados pela vigilância epidemiológica. Resultados: foram notificados 443 óbitos suspeitos de arboviroses e 220 (49,7%) foram confirmados; destes, 88,2% por chikungunya e 11,8% por dengue; a mediana de idade dos óbitos por chikungunya foi mais elevada, quando comparada à da dengue (77 versus 56 anos), e o tempo de evolução até o óbito também foi mais prolongado, quando comparado ao da dengue (38 versus 12 dias); para o encerramento dos casos, a mediana foi de 54,5 dias; em 2017, o Ceará confirmou 80,4% dos óbitos por chikungunya no Brasil. Conclusão: a análise dos óbitos mostrou que o CHIKV foi o responsável pela maior parte dos óbitos por arboviroses no estado do Ceará, em 2017.

Abstract Objective: to describe the experience and preliminary results of the Arbovirus Death Investigation Committee in Ceará, Brazil, in 2017. Methods: the Committee investigates and discusses all suspected cases of arbovirus deaths reported by the epidemiological surveillance service. Results: a total of 443 suspected arbovirus deaths were reported, 220 (49.7%) of which were confirmed; of these, 88.2% were from chikungunya and 11.8% from dengue; the median age of chikungunya deaths was higher when compared to dengue (77 versus 56 years) and the time until death was also longer when compared to dengue (38 versus 12 days); median time for case closure was 54.5 days; in 2017, Ceará confirmed 80.4% of Brazilian chikungunya deaths. Conclusion: the investigation of deaths showed that CHIK viruses were responsible for the majority of arboviral deaths in the state of Ceará, in 2017.

Resumen Objetivo: describir la experiencia y los resultados preliminares del Comité de Investigación de Óbitos por Arbovirus desarrollada en Ceará, Brasil, en 2017. Métodos: el comité discute los casos sospechosos de muertes por arbovirus notificados por la vigilancia epidemiológica. Resultados: se notificaron 443 óbitos sospechosos y 220 (49,7%) fueron confirmados; de estos, 88,2% por chikungunya y 11,8% por dengue; el promedio de edad de los fallecimientos por chikungunya fue más elevado (77 versus 56 años) y el tiempo de evolución hasta el óbito más prolongado, en comparación con el dengue (38 versus 12 días); para el cierre de los casos el promedio fue de 54,5 días; en 2017, Ceará confirmó 80,4% de las muertes por chikungunya en Brasil. Conclusión: El análisis de muertes mostró que CHIKV fue responsable de la mayoría de las muertes por arbovirus en el estado de Ceará, en 2017.

The present study aimed to review literature on studies of dengue cases conducted over 30 years in the state of Ceará. Between November 2015 and January 2016, articles published in Portuguese and English in 7 databases were searched using keywords and a Boolean operator. A total of 191 articles were identified in the databases; 133 were excluded according to the exclusion criteria, and 58 were included in the study. Of the 58 articles analyzed, 6 reported data from Brazil; including the Northeast region and the state of Ceará; 41 reported data for only the city of Fortaleza; 7 reported data for the state of Ceará; 4 reported data for cities in the interior of the state; and 3 included only children. The studies adopted different approaches and focused on different aspects of the disease. Study outcomes included the identification of serological, epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics; potential larvicides and biological predators of mosquitoes; potential antiviral agents; vector density characteristics; and educational dengue prevention and control strategies. Additionally, one vaccine trial was included. Although studies on dengue in the state of Ceará are scarce, they are encompassing, including several lines of research, and the number of studies and reports on dengue in the state of Ceará continues to increase.

BACKGROUND The first dengue cases in Brazil with laboratory confirmation occurred in the northern region of the country, with the isolation of two serotypes, dengue virus 1 (DENV-1) and DENV-4. In Ceará, the introduction of DENV-4 was reported during a DENV-1 epidemic in 2011, with only two isolations. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to characterise the first DENV-4 epidemic in the state of Ceará, Brazil. METHODS The study population was composed of patients with suspected dengue that were reported to health care units from January to December 2012. The laboratory confirmation of infection was made by viral isolation, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), AgNS1, immunohistochemistry and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MAIN CONCLUSIONS In the study year, 72,211 suspected dengue cases were reported and 51,865 of these cases (71.8%) were confirmed to be positive. Co-circulation of three serotypes, DENV-1, DENV-3 and DENV-4, was detected with a predominance of DENV-4 (95.3%). Most cases were not severe, but there were 44 fatal outcomes. DENV-4 Genotype II was identified for the first time in Ceará.

Abstract We report on four patients with fatal influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and dengue virus coinfections. Clinical, necropsy and histopathologic findings presented in all cases were characteristic of influenza-dengue coinfections, and all were laboratory-confirmed for both infections. The possibility of influenza and dengue coinfection should be considered in locations where these two viruses’ epidemic periods coincide to avoid fatal outcomes. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by one of the four dengue viruses (DENV-1 to 4). Each of these viruses is capable of causing nonspecific febrile illnesses, classic dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever (Gubler 1998). As a result, dengue is often difficult to diagnose clinically, especially because peak dengue season often coincides with that of other common febrile illnesses in tropical regions (Chacon et al. 2015). In April 2009, a new virus, influenza A/H1N1/pandemic (FluA/H1N1/09pdm), caused a severe outbreak in Mexico. The virus quickly spread throughout the world, and in June 2009, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic (WHO 2010). In Brazil, the first laboratory confirmed case of FluA/H1N1/09pdm was in July 2009 (Pires Neto et al. 2013). The state of Ceará, in Northeast Brazil, is a dengue endemic area. In this state, the virus influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 has circulated since 2009, and through the first half of 2012, 11 deaths caused by the virus were confirmed (Pires Neto et al. 2013). The influenza and dengue seasons in Ceará overlap, which led to diagnostic difficulties. We report four cases of laboratory-confirmed coinfection of deadly influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 with DENV, which occurred during the dengue and influenza season in 2012 and 2013 in Ceará.

Dengue outbreaks have occurred in several regions in Brazil and cocirculating dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1), DENV-2, and DENV-3 have been frequently observed. Dual infection by DENV-2 and DENV-3 was identified by type-specific indirect immunofluorescence assay and confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in a patient in Ceará with a mild disease. This is the first documented case of simultaneous infection with DENV-2 and DENV-3 in Brazil. Sequencing confirmed DENV-2 and DENV-3 (South-East/American) genotype III and (SriLanka/India), genotype III respectively.