faced with the dengue epidemic, the country orders general mobilization

An unprecedented dengue epidemic hits Brazil. The number of cases is exploding, hospitals are struggling to cope. Health authorities and government are trying to stem contamination.

Dengue fever is very widespread in tropical regions; Brazil is used to it. The anomaly is that more than 400,000 people are now infected, and that is four times more than last year, in February, at the same time.

The virus, which is transmitted by the bite of a small black mosquito with white stripes, causes symptoms similar to those of malaria: high fever, headache, fatigue, vomiting, etc. In some cases it can be fatal. The country has recorded around sixty deaths which can be attributed to it, but nearly 300 others are still subject to examination.

Since the end of January everything has accelerated. More than half of the cities are affected, several states have declared a state of health emergency. In Brasilia, the capital, the army even had to open a field hospital to relieve health services. The authorities expect to end the year with five million patients (for 203 million inhabitants). Guyana is also affected.

The climate upheaval involved

This explosion of cases is largely due to… global warming. Last year, the El Niño phenomenon brought droughts and temperatures much higher than normal, followed by heavy rains: the ideal equation for the proliferation of mosquitoes.

The carnival which took place last week with its large gatherings did not help anything… Not to mention a certain relaxation of the population in the face of barrier gestures: many Brazilians no longer get into the habit of covering their tanks or properly dispose of their wastewater.

The authorities are calling for general mobilization. Above all, President Lula does not want to find himself in the same position as his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, made responsible for a large part of the deaths linked to Covid-19 due to his passivity and his anti-vaccine positions.
This time, a crisis unit was set up. A prevention spot is broadcast on radios and televisions. Municipal agents in gas masks and white overalls are increasing the number of fumigation operations in housing.

A free vaccination campaign, a world first

But above all, a major free vaccination campaign began on Friday February 9. It makes Brazil the first country in the world to offer the dengue vaccine as part of its public health system.

The problem is that the doses of Qdenga vaccine, produced by the Japanese laboratory Takeda, are not numerous enough, vaccination is currently limited to the most vulnerable, 10 – 11 year olds, then will affect those under 14 years. In a country accustomed to producing three quarters of its vaccines, concern and incomprehension are growing at the same pace as the epidemic.