On February 6, nurses attended to patients in a dengue emergency medical care center in Rio de Janeiro.
On February 6, nurses attended to patients in a dengue emergency medical care center in Rio de Janeiro. Pilar Olivares/Reuters.
Rio de Janeiro has declared a public health emergency owing to a dengue virus outbreak, just days before Brazil's Carnival celebrations begin.
According to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil, the city's mayor Eduardo Paes announced the action on Monday in an effort to stem the spread of the mosquito-borne disease, which causes flu-like symptoms and, in severe cases, can be fatal.
The increase in dengue infections has heightened the urgency of a planned statewide vaccine effort, which coincides with Rio's world-famous Carnival, which begins on Friday. The pre-Lent festivities take place all throughout Brazil, with Rio's colorful parades and block parties being known as among of the world's largest events, with millions of revelers filling the streets.
According to the city council's epidemiological observatory group, Rio has already documented over 11,200 dengue cases this year, compared to roughly 23,000 total for 2023.
According to CNN Brasil, 362 people were hospitalized in Rio for dengue in January alone, breaking the previous record set in 2008.
"In a single month of 2024, we already have almost half the cases of the entire previous year, which generated intense concern," Rio's Municipal Health Secretary Daniel Soranz stated last Friday.
.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew).
To prevent the sickness from spreading further, the city announced the opening of ten care centers throughout Rio, while the Health Ministry established an emergency center to coordinate activities, according to Reuters.
Rio is one of three states that have declared public health emergencies in response to the spike in dengue illnesses, along with the second most populous state, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District, which includes the capital, Brasilia, according to Reuters.
"Several Brazilian cities are facing an emergency situation due to the large increase in dengue cases," Brazil's Health Minister Nísia Trindade said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Record heat and above-average rainfall have led to an increase in mosquito-transmitted outbreaks since last year..." Now is the moment to step up treatment and prevention. Now it's time for all of Brazil to band together against dengue."
Vaccine Drive
Dengue fever is a viral infection spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also transmits Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever.
It produces piercing headaches, muscle and joint pains, fever, and rashes, but only about 25% of people infected have symptoms. Extreme cases can result in hemorrhage, shock, organ failure, and death.
Dengue is the most frequent mosquito-borne virus, affecting millions of people globally each year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A dengue-infected patient undergoes treatment at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 26, 2023. Reuters/Mohammed Ponir Hossain
While there is no specific therapy for dengue, Brazil plans to launch a broad vaccine campaign.
Brazil approved the vaccine in March 2023, making it the first country to deliver a dengue vaccine in the public health system, according to the Health Ministry.
The ministry intends to administer the Qdenga vaccine from Japanese manufacturer Takeda to 3.2 million people by 2024, beginning with youngsters aged 10 to 14.
“Vaccination will take place progressively, given the limited number of doses produced by the manufacturing laboratory,” Nísia stated in a statement. "At the same time, the Ministry of Health will coordinate a national effort to expand production and access to dengue vaccines."
Vaccinations in Brasilia will begin as early as Friday, according to Reuters.
According to CNN Brasil, Rio's Municipal Health Department plans to vaccinate youngsters as soon as the Health Ministry releases the vaccine doses.
According to a recent Lancet article, clinical studies have demonstrated that the vaccination reduces the risk of severe dengue requiring hospitalization by 80-90%.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated in Brasilia on Wednesday that Brazil's dengue outbreak is being driven by the El Niño phenomenon, a natural climate pattern that starts in the Pacific Ocean and affects worldwide weather. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center reports that the present El Niño is among the greatest ever recorded.
An aedes aegypti mosquito is examined under a microscope at the National Environmental Agency's mosquito production facility in Singapore on August 19, 2020. Picture shot on August 19, 2020. REUTERS/Edgar Su
"In fact, this outbreak of dengue is part of a global surge in dengue with more than 5 million cases and 5,000 reported last year from 80 countries in every region in the world, except the Europe region," Tedros told a news conference.
According to WHO data, about 3 million of the 5 million recorded cases worldwide occurred in Brazil.
According to WHO, the global number of dengue cases has surged eightfold over the last two decades, owing to rising temperatures and predicted wet seasons.
As the human-caused climate catastrophe intensifies, mosquito-borne diseases are projected to spread further, posing a growing threat to human health.