As Brazil faced an unprecedented epidemic, patients flooded hospitals

Brazil, which has been dealing with dengue fever for decades, has faced thousands of cases since the beginning of 2024. Several states, including Rio de Janeiro, are already in a health crisis.

“Whose turn is it now?”. At this brand new care center specializing in dengue screening in Brazil’s second city, Rio de Janeiro, patients follow each other. Looking haphazard and on a drip to avoid the dangerous dehydration caused by this virus, Whidson has just been taken care of: “I am waiting for confirmation, but there is a strong suspicion. I have a headache, I have a fever, pain in my body, in my joints… I already had dengue fever, but this is stronger.”

Global warming, coupled with the El Niño phenomenon, causes intense heat and heavy rains in Brazil and promotes the spread of mosquitoes. More than 550,000 cases of dengue fever have been reported in the country since the beginning of January, a record for this time of the year. The epidemic claimed 91 lives and nearly 400 suspicious deaths were reported.

Mosquitoes spread

Daniel Soranz, in charge of health issues at the town hall, explains that ten such centers spread across the city of Rio are necessary to combat dengue fever: “The aim is to identify cases of dengue fever earlier so that the patient’s health does not deteriorate.“

“The problem is that with three types of virus circulating at the same time, this is the first time in our history that we have dengue types 1, 2 and 4 at the same time, which facilitates this proliferation of cases.”

Daniel Soranz, in charge of health issues at Rio Town Hall

at franceinfo

Mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus spread in clean, stagnant water. After a heavy rain, litter, dead leaves or a flower pot saucer are all little paradises. Everyone should play their part and remedial actions are being taken across the city.

A political issue for Lula

Cemeteries are particularly at risk, assures Sandro Lobo, head of the Caju cemetery, where the law now prohibits flowers: “The difficulty comes from the size of the cemetery, there are more than 100,000 graves. There are hundreds of very large trees, which produce a lot of leaves. We don’t allow water to stagnate on the graves, so that the oldest graves wear. Flowers, artificial flowers and vases. But should be constantly removed.

After his predecessor’s disastrous handling of Covid-19, the issue is also political for President Lula, who is trying to rise to the occasion, even though the death rate from dengue fever is very low.