Actions against dengue must be taken now, infectologist warns

From January to October, the number of deaths from dengue in Brazil increased 400% compared to the same period last year.

“This year 2022, we had more than 1.4 million cases, with almost 900 deaths, that is a lot”, said the consultant of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases Kléber Luz.

In an interview with CNN Radio the professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte explained that dengue cases follow a cycle and increase every 3 or four years.

The reasons, he said, “depend on weather conditions and the rate of mosquito infestation.”

“As December approaches, temperature rises, and cases increase, with a peak in February, March and April; Actions have to be taken now,” he warned.

In the teacher’s assessment, the fight against Aedes aegypti it depends on “joint action”, which involves educational campaigns, the use of larvicides, smoking and the collaboration of people to prevent breeding sites.

Kléber highlighted that water tanks without a lid or without a cover that completely seals the container; plant pots with accumulated water; buckets and vats of water, in addition to the accumulation of garbage.

“The mosquito prefers places protected from the sun and a little water is enough, 2 or 3 cm of water will do damage”, he explained.

The infectious disease specialist also warned that dengue is a “treacherous” disease, as it progresses to death, when the case is severe, between the third and fourth day of infection.

The most important time to go to the doctor is when, after the onset of muscle and joint pain, the fever subsides.

“At this time, the disease kicks in, the fever subsides, the individual feels nausea, vomiting and has a sudden drop in blood pressure, which leads to death.”

Children and people with comorbidities, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are among those most at risk of developing severe cases.

*With production by Isabel Campos