Epidemiologic and clinical investigations during a chikungunya outbreak in Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil.

The first autochthonous case of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection in Brazil was in September 2014 in the State of Amapá, and from there it rapidly spread across the country. The present study was conducted in 2016 in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, and the aims were to describe the epidemiological and the clinical aspects of the CHIKV outbreak. Biological samples from 284 chikungunya suspected cases were screened for CHIKV and Flavivirus (FV) RNA using qRT-PCR.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus oviposition in an urban area of northeastern Brazil.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyse abundance and spatial distribution of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus oviposition in the city of Natal-RN, 2016 to 2018.

Methods: Three hundred and seven oviposition traps were installed covered the whole city and were monitored weekly from January 2016 to December 2018. To verify the abundance of the vector based on its location, the formation of oviposition clusters was studied using the Kernel statistics.

Identification of surveillance and control priority areas for dengue and other arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti in Natal-RN, Brazil: experience report.

Objective: to report the vigi@dengue experience, held in the municipality of Natal-RN, Brazil, from October/2015 to May/2016.

Methods: entomological indicators were obtained from the oviposition traps, epidemiological indicators from notifications on the online Information System for Notifiable Diseases (Sinan-dengue), active search for cases and viral RNA detection (RTq-PCR) in arthropods and human serum samples; risk levels have been created based on these indicators; categories of interventions for each risk level have been established.

Results: early identification of epidemics in three areas of the municipality, with guidance for field work for the most vulnerable areas; the municipality presented ovitrap positivity index (OPI) of 40% and eggs density index (EDI) of 51 eggs/ovitraps; identification of CHIKV, DENV-1 and DENV-3 in Natal-RN.