South America Dengue Increase Brings Vaccination Drive
Symptoms of Dengue and Vaccination Campaign
South America is currently facing a significant increase in dengue cases, a mosquito-borne disease that is widespread in Latin America. Common symptoms of dengue include high fever, extreme tiredness, muscle pain, and internal bleeding. In Brazil, the disease is often referred to as “breakbone fever” due to the severe joint pain it causes. While some individuals infected with dengue may not display any symptoms, the disease can be fatal.
In response to the escalating dengue cases, Brazil’s health officials have devised a plan to initiate a new dengue vaccine campaign. This program, expected to launch within days, will make Brazil the first country worldwide to offer a dengue vaccine. Additionally, as a preventative measure, Brazil started truck-based insecticide spraying in January to combat the disease’s spread to previously unaffected regions. Hospitals in Paraguay have followed suit by establishing night health centers to care for the sick due to the surge in dengue cases.
Record-High Dengue Cases and Insect Repellent Shortages
During 2023, Latin America witnessed a spike in dengue cases, with Argentina recording a sharp increase of 12,500 cases in December compared to the same period the previous year. This escalation has prompted health warnings and resulted in shortages of insect repellent. Laura Ledesma, a resident of Buenos Aires, Argentina, expressed the depletion of insect repellent products and the abundance of mosquitoes, but she mentioned signs of improvement as well.
Impact of Weather Changes on Dengue Spread
Scientists attribute the spread of dengue in South America, as well as other regions, to rising temperatures and the El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific. As a result of these events, the dengue season is prolonged, exacerbating the prevalence of the mosquito-borne disease. Thais dos Santos, a specialist in insect-borne diseases at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), explained that climate change has expanded the breeding range for mosquitoes both in the Americas and globally.
Last year, the Americas reported 4.2 million cases of dengue, causing 2,050 deaths. The majority of these cases were concentrated in South America’s “Southern Cone.” The hot and humid conditions that prevail during the southern summer months amplify mosquito breeding, facilitating the spread of this potentially deadly disease.
Increase in Dengue Cases and Testing Centers in Brasilia
In the first 20 days of January, the number of dengue cases in Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil, experienced a staggering increase of up to 646% compared to the previous year. As a result, medical centers were established to provide dengue testing, and residents lined up outside these centers seeking diagnosis. Nelson Diego, a 37-year-old resident of the Recanto das Emas neighborhood in Brasilia, tested positive for dengue. He shared the physical effects, such as muscle pain and extreme tiredness, of the disease on his daily life, noting that some days were especially challenging.
“Today is one of the better days because I can still open my eyes,” Diego expressed. “I have a lot of pain in my joints and couldn’t walk before.”
This article was adapted for our news website based on reports by Lucinda Elliott in Montevideo and Ricardo Brito in Brasilia, originally published by a renowned news agency.
