https://www.apnews.com/0e6900537abf41348a48fc64c69085ae
Brazil’s health ministry says deaths from dengue fever in the last six months have risen 163% from the same period last year.
The ministry said in a note Monday that heavier rains and higher temperatures have been contributing factors. It added that dengue has cycles and that the numbers of cases were lower the past two years.
I looked up the dictionary but I'm not sure which definition fits the "note" here. Most of the definitions are related to written/printed texts, but then it doesn't make sense if one said "in a note", so I guess note here means something else.
Or does it mean "a brief comment or explanation" (definition 3-b)?