A public health emergency declared in Rio de Janeiro led several public health warnings after a mosquito-borne dengue fever outbreak in the city just before the Carnival celebrations began in Brazil.
As per the official statement, the outbreak is not expected to derail the Carnival, which starts on Friday evening and lasts until February 14. However, the outbreak has prompted officials to devise measures to contain the Disease inside the city.
Measures to be taken by Rio City officials
The officials announced the opening of 10 care centers, the development of emergency operations centers, and the allotment of hospital beds for dengue patients.
As reported by ABC News, the authorities also mentioned using “smoke guns” in regions where the highest incidences of dengue are to be recorded, where it can diffuse insecticide in the air.
Number of rising cases in the city
Since the onset of 2024, the municipality registered around 10,000 dengue cases. That is just under half of the cases- 23,000, recorded throughout 2023.
The official announcement occurred after many tourists and revelers poured into Rio to participate in street parties and attend the samba schools’ flamboyant parades.
What more safety steps have been announced by the city officials?
On Monday, Governor Cláudio Castro presented an operational plan for Rio state, named the “Against Dengue Every Day” campaign.
It will include the distribution of bandanas, repellents, stickers, and hats with warnings against the disease to audiences at the Sambadrome. It is written that a 15-second notice about the fight against the infection will also be shown, reported ABC News.
Dengue Infection Outbreak Reasons in Rio
The viral infection in nature is transmitted to humans by biting Aedes mosquitoes. It most commonly grows in tropical climates regions.
Because of the persistent rainfall conditions and high temperatures, it is an ideal condition for hatching mosquito eggs and developing larvae. These conditions are fulfilled well in Rio’s weather, which makes the famously hot city susceptible to dengue outbreaks.
Public Health emergency declared in Brazil states
However, it is considered a national problem since the dengue outbreak in Brazil has been detected in more states- Acren, Minas Gerais, and Goias, in addition to the federal district, which has declared public health emergencies.
In the Federal District in Ceilandia, the Brazilian Air Force set up a 60-bed field hospital on Monday, where the treatment of patients began.
Lt. Brig. Marcelo Kanitz Damascene, who is the air force commander, stated, “Our objective is to relieve emergency care units in the region, given that today the Federal District accounts for around 20% of dengue cases in the country,” ABC News stated.
What are the dengue symptoms?
Most people contracting dengue don’t develop symptoms of dengue; however, if they do, it includes- high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and a rash, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).
After a week or so, most of the infected get better, but some develop a severe form and require hospitalization for treatment. In this case, dengue could prove fatal.
In December, WHO stated that climate change is one of the leading causes of high risk of prevailing dengue outbreaks due to increasing temperatures and rainfall.
Eduardo Paes, the Rio mayor, urged “Cariocas” to the residents to eliminate still water sources of dengue, where mosquitos breed.
Paes stated in a press release, “Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, in which individual citizens couldn’t do much more than demand that governments get the vaccine, in the case of dengue, much depends on the action of each citizen,” ABC News reported.
The vaccine against dengue was approved in Brazil in March 2023, which made it the first country in the world to offer a dengue vaccine via the public health system, as stated by the Ministry of Health. Furthermore, more than 3 million people received a jab against dengue in 2024.