Dengue: clinical forms and risk groups in a high incidence city in the southeastern region of Brazil.

Introduction: The article describes the epidemiologic profile of dengue cases in Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo, Brazil, from 2000 to 2009, aimed at identifying risk groups regarding the incidence and severity of the disease.

Methods: Confirmed cases of dengue among city residents during ten years were classified as dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome and dengue with complications, and analyzed according to sex, age, race-color and education.

Results: The proportion of dengue cases was highest among women aged 20 to 29 years-old and similar between whites and blacks.