Dengue fever outbreak in Brazil

Data from Brazil's Ministry of Health shows that the country has surpassed 1 million dengue cases in the first eight weeks of 2024, including both confirmed and suspected infections. By comparison, Brazil had just over 207,000 cases at the same time in 2023.

As of March 1, 2024, there have been 214 confirmed deaths from dengue, of which 687 cases are still being analyzed. This is 6 times higher than the same period in 2023.

Eight of Brazil's 27 states have declared a public health emergency due to the alarming rise in dengue fever. The emergency declaration allows local authorities to speed up the procurement of supplies and personnel.

In Brazil, dengue fever cases and deaths are an annual occurrence during the summer, but health ministry officials say 2024 will shatter all previous records. The worst-case scenario last month projected 4.2 million cases of the disease that year — a worrying number.

To help combat the spread of dengue fever, a team of scientists has tested a unique method: releasing a batch of genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild.

Accordingly, in the city of Suzano in the state of Sao Paolo, Brazil, the British biotechnology company Oxitec is developing a genetically modified version of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

The genetically modified male mosquitoes will carry a gene that can kill female mosquitoes. Therefore, when released into the natural environment, they will reduce the reproductive rate of this mosquito species, while significantly reducing the number of female mosquitoes - the agent that transmits dengue fever.

This method has been proven to reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area by 90%, significantly reducing the number of dengue fever cases in the locality.

Mr. Rodrigo Ashiuchi - Mayor of Suzano City: “I believe that our implementation efforts have worked. Initially, we had to put the city on alert and now we have recorded a significant reduction in dengue cases. This is an innovative project, not only for Suzano but also applicable to other cities."

To prevent dengue fever, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has also planned to hold a special event to raise awareness about dengue fever, called “D-Day”, to educate people about the seriousness of the current spike in cases and instruct them on how to clean up mosquito breeding sites.

Minh Hoa (t/h)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/dich-sot-xuat-huyet-bung-phat-tai-brazil-a652204.html