Rio de Janeiro declares public health emergency for dengue days before Carnaval
Travelers headed to Brazil's biggest party, Carnival, this week are advised to exercise caution amid a surge in dengue fever cases in the country.
In just the first few weeks of 2024, Rio has documented more than 10,000 cases of dengue fever, nearly half of the total cases reported in the entirety of 2023, which amounted to 23,000, according to officials from the Health Ministry.
The center of the festivities, Rio de Janeiro, declared a public health emergency on Monday after an outbreak of the viral disease transmitted through mosquito bites. The outbreak is a result of Brazil's tropical climate and heightened rainfall associated with the El Niño weather pattern this year, according to the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In January, a record 362 people in Rio were hospitalized with the disease. The last recorded high was in 2008.
The city is bracing for the influx of travelers coming to enjoy the street parties, known as "blocos de rua," and the Sambadrome venue starting Friday until Feb. 17. In 2020, Carnival brought more than 2 million tourists to Rio.
During Carnival, the city will open 10 care centers and an emergency operations shelter, and it will allocate hospital beds specifically for dengue patients. Throughout the city, authorities will deploy “smoke cars” that release an insecticide into the air.
Rio will also host an “Against Dengue Every Day” campaign and distribute repellents, stickers, bandanas and hats to partiers.
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Across Brazil, almost 365,000 cases have been recorded in 2024 – four times more than in all of 2023. Rio’s announcement joins three other Brazilian states that also declared a public health emergency from dengue: Acre, Minas Gerais and Goias.
“In a single month of 2024, we already have almost half the cases of the entire previous year, which generated intense concern,” Rio’s Municipal Health Secretary Daniel Soranz said last Friday, according to CNN Brasil.
The country is launching a nationwide vaccination drive that aims to inoculate 3.2 million people and encourage residents to eradicate sources of stagnant water, which are known breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Most people who contract dengue don't have any symptoms, but some can experience high fever, headache, nausea, body aches and rash, according to the World Health Organization. Typically, people can feel better in one to two weeks. In severe cases, they need to be hospitalized. There is no cure for dengue, so only the symptoms can be treated.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to prevent dengue is to avoid mosquito bites with an Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellent like DEET or Picaridin. Travelers also should pack acetaminophen to help manage fevers or body aches if they get dengue.
As always in mass gatherings, the CDC recommends that travelers should be up to date on their vaccinations before departure. Travelers should wash their hands regularly and be careful about the food and drinks they consume.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dengue outbreak hits Rio de Janeiro before Carnaval 2024
