Dengue Fever Surge: Health Emergency Declared in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro News: In Brazile, the authorities have declared a health emergency in Rio de Janeiro yesterday, as they try to contain the spread of dengue fever.

Rio city hall announced the opening of 10 care centers, the creation of an emergency operations center and the allocation of hospital beds for dengue patients.

The local media reported that the incidents of the mosquito-borne disease quadrupled in Brazil in January compared to the same month last year. Rio has registered 10,000 cases so far this year, compared to 23,000 for the whole of 2023.

The announcement came just days before Carnival celebrations kick off across Brazil.

In December last year, the WHO said that climate change, which leads to increased temperatures and high rainfall, is associated with a higher risk of dengue.