2024-02-07 08:54:24
More than 200,000 people were infected with dengue fever in Brazil in the first four weeks of the year. Several regions have declared a state of emergency.
In the first four weeks of the year, more than 200,000 people in Brazil are believed to have been infected with dengue fever. As the Ministry of Health announced, this is more than three times as many cases as in the same period a year earlier. According to health authorities, there have been 15 confirmed deaths so far and 149 others are still under investigation.
Dengue fever in Brazil: Several regions declare a state of emergency
Several regions in Brazil have declared a state of emergency due to the outbreak. The city of Rio de Janeiro has recorded more than 10,000 cases since the beginning of the year. This means that in just a few weeks, almost half of the number of sick cases that was registered in the entire year of 2023 has been reached. At that time there were 23,000.
The city hall of Rio de Janeiro has announced that it will open care centers, set up an emergency operations center and reserve a certain number of hospital beds for those affected by dengue fever. In addition, an insecticide should be distributed in the air. The states of Acre, Minas Gerais and Goiás as well as the capital district have also declared a state of emergency.
High temperatures and rain probably trigger dengue fever in Brazil
The heavy rains and high temperatures of the past few months are likely to be the trigger for the sharp increase in dengue fever cases. The yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), which transmits the dengue virus, can thrive particularly well under these circumstances. A vaccination campaign with a new vaccine against dengue fever is scheduled to begin in Brazil in February.
Dengue fever is widespread in the tropics and subtropics. It is also called “bone crusher disease” because of the pain it causes. However, the course of the disease is often mild and not everyone who is infected becomes ill.
WHO warns of dengue fever spreading in Europe
At the end of last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the spread of certain mosquitoes in Europe and thus an increase in dengue cases. The danger is growing due to climate change and the associated rising temperatures, said WHO specialist Diana Rojas.
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Last year, Italy reported 82 locally transmitted infections, France 43 and Spain three. European countries still have the chance to prevent these mosquitoes from spreading further, said Rojas. Worldwide, the number of reported cases increased tenfold from 2000 to 2019. (with dpa)
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