Brazil minister says Rio dengue mortality too high
By Rodrigo Gaier
RIO DE JANEIRO, March 24 (Reuters) - The mortality rate from the hemorrhagic form of dengue fever in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro far exceeds rates considered acceptable in the world, Health Minister Jose Temporao said on Monday.
A dengue fever epidemic has killed 48 people in Rio state this year, compared to 31 in all of last year, according to state health officials.
Visiting the famous beach city, Temporao said the situation was "grave and difficult" and that army doctors would fight the outbreak, possibly mounting field hospitals to help the infected.
He said the World Health Organization considers mortality rate of 1 percent of people infected with the hemorrhagic strain of dengue acceptable.
"Compared to WHO norms, here it's five time as much. Mortality is above 5 percent. ... The number of deaths is totally above expectations that could be considered reasonable," Temporao told reporters.
News reports had earlier put Rio's death toll from dengue fever this year at 49.
Some 32,000 cases of dengue, including hemorrhagic, have been reported since Jan. 1 in Rio state. Most deaths and cases are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's second-biggest city. Temporao did not provide the estimated number of hemorrhagic cases.
Dengue fever is a viral disease spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and there is no vaccine or drug to treat it. It has various strains, including the potentially lethal hemorrhagic form, which tends to affect people who had earlier contracted a weaker strain.
The minister said a combination of factors including wide circulation of at least two dengue strains in Rio, rains and heat that breed mosquitoes and a poor disease prevention network had contributed to the epidemic.
Authorities will deploy more cars equipped with powerful insecticide sprays and reinforce hospitals medical staff, Temporao said.
"Data show we're at the peak of the disease. A reversion should be possible in the coming weeks," he said.
Most affected areas are relatively far from the districts frequented by tourist, but as the disease is spread by mosquitoes, nobody is totally safe.
Public hospitals in the northern and western districts of the city were overwhelmed by the number of patients seeking treatment at the weekend. Treatment primarily involves increased fluid intake, orally and intravenously. (Writing by Andrei Khalip; editing by Mohammad Zargham)
RIO DE JANEIRO, March 24 (Reuters) - The mortality rate from the hemorrhagic form of dengue fever in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro far exceeds rates considered acceptable in the world, Health Minister Jose Temporao said on Monday.
A dengue fever epidemic has killed 48 people in Rio state this year, compared to 31 in all of last year, according to state health officials.
Visiting the famous beach city, Temporao said the situation was "grave and difficult" and that army doctors would fight the outbreak, possibly mounting field hospitals to help the infected.
He said the World Health Organization considers mortality rate of 1 percent of people infected with the hemorrhagic strain of dengue acceptable.
"Compared to WHO norms, here it's five time as much. Mortality is above 5 percent. ... The number of deaths is totally above expectations that could be considered reasonable," Temporao told reporters.
News reports had earlier put Rio's death toll from dengue fever this year at 49.
Some 32,000 cases of dengue, including hemorrhagic, have been reported since Jan. 1 in Rio state. Most deaths and cases are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's second-biggest city. Temporao did not provide the estimated number of hemorrhagic cases.
Dengue fever is a viral disease spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and there is no vaccine or drug to treat it. It has various strains, including the potentially lethal hemorrhagic form, which tends to affect people who had earlier contracted a weaker strain.
The minister said a combination of factors including wide circulation of at least two dengue strains in Rio, rains and heat that breed mosquitoes and a poor disease prevention network had contributed to the epidemic.
Authorities will deploy more cars equipped with powerful insecticide sprays and reinforce hospitals medical staff, Temporao said.
"Data show we're at the peak of the disease. A reversion should be possible in the coming weeks," he said.
Most affected areas are relatively far from the districts frequented by tourist, but as the disease is spread by mosquitoes, nobody is totally safe.
Public hospitals in the northern and western districts of the city were overwhelmed by the number of patients seeking treatment at the weekend. Treatment primarily involves increased fluid intake, orally and intravenously. (Writing by Andrei Khalip; editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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