Brazil dengue news
Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Federal District
Rio de Janeiro
In a follow-up on the dengue outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, the city of Rio de Janeiro declared a state of emergency yesterday due to a surge in hospitalizations for suspected cases of dengue fever.
Local authorities unveiled a contingency plan to tackle the epidemic, encompassing measures to aid the population and combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the dengue virus.
The plan includes the opening of ten care units, the establishment of the Emergency Operations Center (COE-Dengue), and the provision of hospital beds for dengue patients. Additionally, there are plans to deploy fumigation vehicles in areas with the highest case rates and to mandate access to closed and abandoned properties.
The municipality of Rio de Janeiro has already recorded over 10,000 cases of dengue this year, nearly half of the total for the entire year of 2023 (22,959). The disease's incidence rate stands at 160.68 per 100,000 inhabitants.
In the state of Rio de Janeiro in the first four weeks of 2024, 17,437 probable cases of dengue were recorded. For comparison purposes, in the same period in 2023, there were 1,441 cases.
“The numbers are high and still rising rapidly”, Secretary of State for Health, Claudia Mello said.
São Paulo
According to the government of the state of São Paulo, 28,808 confirmed cases of dengue were reported in the state since January 1st, including 4 deaths.
The municipalities with the highest incidence of the disease in the state are Pederneiras and Boracéia, in the Bauru region; Pindamonhangaba, in the Taubaté region; Palmares Paulista, in the São José do Rio Preto region; and Monte Azul Paulista, in the Barretos region. Dengue serotypes 1, 2 and 3 were identified in cities in São Paulo.
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Acting governor Felicio Ramuth signed, also this Tuesday, the decree that creates the Emergency Operations Center (COE) to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito , which transmits dengue, chikungunya and zika. The first measure adopted by the COE was the allocation of R$200 million to the city halls of the 645 municipalities in São Paulo to combat mosquitoes.
Federal District
A dengue emergency was also declared last week in the Federal District amid an explosion of dengue cases.
The government of the Federal District (GDF) will install a field hospital in an attempt to expand care for suspected and confirmed cases of dengue. The proposal is to strengthen the public health network with hydration chairs and hospitalization beds.
Currently, the DF has 176 basic health units, nine tents and two trailers acting as a gateway for patients with signs such as fever, malaise and body aches.
The field hospital is expected to be set up in the coming days and will have personnel, equipment and supplies from the Air Force.
The Ministry of Defense had already assigned 247 military personnel to combat dengue fever in the Federal District. The military will work inspecting houses and in ambulances.
