Brasília – Health authorities have issued an alert following a sharp increase in meningitis cases and deaths across several Brazilian states in 2025. In Rio Grande do Sul, 57 cases of meningococcal disease were confirmed by September — already surpassing the total recorded in 2024. In Paraná, health officials reported 934 cases and 92 deaths by the 39th epidemiological week. In São Paulo, there were 116 cases of meningococcal meningitis and 18 deaths, along with 98 cases and 28 deaths from pneumococcal meningitis, representing a lethality rate of nearly 29%.

Experts warn that the upward trend reflects gaps in both diagnostic capacity and vaccine coverage. They highlight the importance of rapid molecular testing, such as PCR, for early detection and response, and call for broader immunization efforts to prevent severe outcomes.

Health specialists and epidemiologists emphasize that reinforcing surveillance, ensuring vaccine availability, and improving clinical management are key to reducing the disease’s spread and lethality in the coming months.

Source: SEGS

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