RIO DE JANEIRO -- Rio de Janeiro on Monday has declared a public health emergency because of an outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever, the city announced Monday, just days before Carnival celebrations kick off across Brazil. Rio city hall announced the opening of 10 care centers, the creation of an emergency operations center and the allocation of hospital beds for dengue patients. Since the beginning of 2024, the municipality has registered more than 10,000 dengue cases. In such cases, dengue can be fatal. In March 2023, Brazil approved a vaccine against dengue and became the first country in the world to offer a dengue vaccine through the public health system, according to the health ministry.

Source: ABC News February 05, 2024 21:37 UTC