Pilar Olivares/Reuters
Nurses treat patients at a dengue emergency medical unit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on February 6.
CNN
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According to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes has declared a public health emergency due to the dengue fever outbreak.
The surge in dengue cases comes as Rio and other parts of the country prepare for Carnival celebrations, when millions of people will flood the streets for parades and block parties. There is.
Carnival and official holidays begin on Friday and continue until the following Wednesday.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dengue fever is a mosquito-borne virus spread primarily through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also known to transmit several other viruses, including yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika.
According to the CDC, up to 400 million people worldwide become infected with dengue fever each year, making it the most common virus transmitted by mosquitoes.
A state of emergency was declared on Monday, according to CNN Brazil.
CNN Brasil reported that 362 people were hospitalized with dengue in Rio’s health network in January alone, a record number exceeding the previous high since 2008.
According to data from the Epidemiological Surveillance Committee of the Rio de Janeiro City Council, 11,202 cases have already been registered in 2024, and in all of 2023 there were a total of 22,959 cases.
Last Friday, Rio’s health secretary, Daniel Solanz, said Rio was facing an outbreak of the disease, saying: “In one month of 2024, there have already been almost half as many cases as in the whole of the previous year, and the virus is strong.” “It’s causing concern.”
Ten centers will be set up in the city to fight the disease.
CNN Brazil reports that the city’s health department plans to vaccinate children once a vaccine is released by the Ministry of Health.
It is expected that the entire population will be vaccinated within a week. This equates to 354,000 of her children.
Only a quarter of people infected with dengue show symptoms.
The most common symptom is fever. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, rash, and aches and pains (usually behind the eyes, muscles, joints, and bones).
According to the CDC, there is no specific drug to treat dengue fever, but acetaminophen can help relieve pain and fever.
This is a developing story and will be updated
