Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Brazil launches dengue vaccination amid outbreak

Brazil launched a dengue fever immunization campaign Friday, becoming the first country in the world to provide the vaccine through its public health system as it deals with a surge in cases.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

South American cities release mosquitoes to stem disease

When Waldeir Barbosa da Silva explained to his family that he was going to release hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes into the open, infected with a bacterium, they were surprised.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Brazil on dengue fever alert ahead of carnival

Sao Paulo opened an emergency operations center Tuesday to deal with a surge in dengue fever cases that has hit Brazil and South America just as millions of tourists arrive for carnival celebrations.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Brazil sees dengue cases quadruple ahead of vaccine drive

The number of dengue fever cases in Brazil since January 1 is four times higher than the same period last year, government data showed Saturday, ahead of the launch of a vaccination campaign.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Brazil to launch vaccination campaign as dengue surges

Brazil will start a vaccination campaign against dengue fever in February, authorities said, as a sharp rise in cases of the potentially deadly disease raised fears of a runaway outbreak.

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Dengue fever

Dengue fever (pronounced UK: /ˈdɛŋɡeɪ/, US: /ˈdɛŋɡiː/) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are acute febrile diseases, found in the tropics, and caused by four closely related virus serotypes of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. It is also known as breakbone fever. The geographical spread includes northern Australia, northern Argentina, and the entire Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Philippines, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mexico, Suriname, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela, Barbados, Trinidad and Samoa. Unlike malaria, dengue is just as prevalent in the urban districts of its range as in rural areas. Each serotype is sufficiently different that there is no cross-protection and epidemics caused by multiple serotypes (hyperendemicity) can occur. Dengue is transmitted to humans by the Aedes aegypti or more rarely the Aedes albopictus mosquito, which feed during the day.

The WHO says some 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world's population, are now at risk from dengue and estimates that there may be 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year. The disease is now epidemic in more than 100 countries.

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