The minister underscored, during a visit to Dourados, the need for a joint response from authorities to confront the disease, affirming that “when it comes to health, to human lives, the responsibility is global,” Agencia Brasil quoted.

Data from the Mato Grosso do Sul government states that 1,764 chikungunya cases, including 37 pregnant women, were confirmed from January to early April in the state, while 1,893 other cases remain under investigation.

Of that total, Dourados has 759 probable cases, the highest number in the region, a situation that is hitting hard the area’s indigenous communities.

Brazil’s Ministry of Integration and Regional Development declared a state of emergency on March 30, following a municipal decree issued few days earlier.

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