Authorities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, declared a state of public health emergency due to the increase in confirmed cases of dengue, a virus that already affects more than 10,000 residents of Brazil's most populous city. The measure occurs a few days before the beginning of Carnival, which will be celebrated between Feb. 9 and 12 and which will bring together millions of people in the streets.
The Rio de Janeiro City Council promoted a series of measures to stop the spread of dengue fever among the population and affect the Carnival celebration. One of these initiatives was the opening of several care centers for infected patients, as explained by the Municipal Health Secretary Daniel Soranz:
Today we expand our installed capacity to care for all people who present symptoms of dengue. Here, patients can receive all the treatment they need. When they arrive, they can have a blood count and serology done. If necessary, they receive intravenous and oral hydration right here. And if they have to be hospitalized, we have specific beds for arboviruses and infectious diseases. The goal is to reduce the number of serious cases and deaths from dengue.
These statements were backed by Health Minister Nísia Trindade, who assured that the installation of these centers will help block the spread of dengue:
Treating people quickly is a key measure to prevent dengue from getting worse. Dengue centers will help us do this. I was at the inauguration of the first center in Rio de Janeiro, in Curicica. There will be 10 in the city, giving special attention and assistance.
Atender rápido as pessoas é uma medida central para evitar que a dengue se agrave. Os polos de atendimento contra a dengue vão nos ajudar mt nisso. Estive na inauguração do primeiro polo no Rio de Janeiro, em Curicica. Serão dez na cidade, dando atenção especial à assistência. + pic.twitter.com/ecmqy0AMI6
— Nísia Trindade Lima (@nisia_trindade) February 5, 2024
The city reported that the dengue infection rate in Rio de Janeiro has already reached 160.68 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Across Brazil, 243,700 infections have been confirmed, with 24 deaths already recorded.
Mosquitoes behind the spread
To prevent the spread of the virus, authorities urged that rules be applied in different spaces, both public and private. One of these places is cemeteries of Rio de Janeiro, where a series of instructions must be followed to "avoid the proliferation of mosquitoes," which transmit dengue.
These insects are found in humid areas, so cemetery administrators must carry out inspections and dry elements that contain water as quickly as possible, according to the Conservation Secretary Marco Aurelio Regalo de Oliveira:
The city of Rio de Janeiro is experiencing a dengue epidemic. More than ever, everyone must work together to prevent the spread of mosquitoes. In the case of cemeteries, those responsible must carry out inspections and immediately remove any element that retains water.
