Dengue cases explode Brazila country that recorded in the first four epidemiological weeks of this year, 217,481 casesAlmost five times more compared to 44,752 cases recorded in the same period last year, with Rio de Janeiro one of the hardest hit areas.
Indeed, Rio de Janeiro declared a “state of public health emergency” on the eve of Carnival due to the dramatic increase in dengue cases in the city, which exceed 10,000 since the beginning of the yearas published this Monday in the Official Journal.
People line up to get vaccinated against dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya to travel to Buenos Aires, Brazil. Photo: ReutersRio Mayor’s Office presented an emergency plan to address what he called a “dengue epidemic” which involves the implementation of a series of measures to prevent the proliferation of the Aedes a Egypti mosquito, the vehicle of the disease.
How dengue is transmitted
Dengue is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, mainly Aedes a Egypti. This mosquito breeds in areas with stagnant water, such as containers, tires, puddles, etc.
Dengue is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Photo: APWhen a person is bitten by an infected mosquito, the dengue virus enters his body and multiplies in the blood. causing the disease. Dengue is not transmitted directly from person to person, but through mosquito bites.
Brasilia also hit
Other regions of Brazil are also facing major dengue epidemics, such as the Federal District of Brasilia, where They even set up a field hospital take care of infected patients.
“The numbers are high throughout Brazil, which raises the alarm about the urgency of the actions of the public power and the population”, warned the Mayor’s Office of Rio, which in recent days is preparing to receive hundreds of thousands of tourists to celebrate Carnival.
Rio Carnivalthe biggest party in Brazil and known internationally, officially begins next Friday, although last weekend it brought thousands of people to the streets to accompany the traditional parades.
Rio, the country’s most touristy city, has recorded more than 10,000 dengue cases so far this year, compared to 22,959 reported in all of 2023, according to official data.
THE incidence rate of the disease in Rio there are now 160.68 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants.
The operators of the Municipal Secretariat of Health of San Pablo disperse some houses. Photo: EFE archiveAmong the measures that the Rio authorities will implement are: the creation of an emergency operations center, the establishment of ten specific treatment points distributed throughout the municipality, the reservation of beds for dengue patients in public hospitals; AND fumigate the regions with the highest incidence of cases.
Five times more cases
Brazil has recorded 262,247 cases of dengue so far this year, according to data from the Ministry of Health. In January alone they increased by 160% compared to the same month of 2023.
According to the latest official toll, 29 confirmed deaths due to the disease have been reported in the country, while another 173 deaths are under investigation.
To this end, the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, inaugurated an emergency operations center against dengue last Saturday unify dengue control and surveillance strategies with the support of States and Municipalities.
Trindade then denied to the press that the country is in a situation of “national emergency”, since in his opinion there is only epidemic conditions in some regions, AS Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Acre and Minas Gerais.
The vaccine
The increase in dengue cases comes on the eve of the start of distribution by the Ministry of Health the first batches of the vaccine developed by the Japanese laboratory Takeda.
Symptoms
Brazil will be the first country in the world to do so offer the formula in the public health system, although its application is not expected to produce an immediate health impact due to the limited availability of doses. This was reported by the Ministry of Health, underlining that there were 15 deaths due to the disease, compared to 26 last year. However, 149 deaths are considered suspicious and have not yet been accounted for.
The main symptoms of dengue are fever, skin rashes and muscle and joint pain. In more severe forms, dengue can cause internal bleeding and lead to death.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.