Meningitis Cases Rise in Brazil as Mato Grosso Confirms 29 and 8 Deaths

Overview

• Mato Grosso reports 29 confirmed meningitis cases and eight deaths in 2026, which state officials say still falls short of outbreak criteria.
• The state health department lists 29 additional suspected cases under review and says surveillance teams are following cases with local clinics.
• Sorocaba confirms its first meningitis death this year, a 23-year-old woman, and reports 15 cases as infant vaccine coverage remains below the 95% goal.
• Betim verifies bacterial meningitis in an 11-year-old with sickle cell disease and no vaccination record, and the city is treating close contacts and running a mobile vaccine post at the child’s school.
• Health agencies stress rapid care for symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, or confusion, and they note meningitis is endemic in Brazil with bacterial cases more common in autumn and winter.