Patients receive medical care within a health service dedicated to treating patients with dengue symptoms at the Raphael de Paula Souza Municipal Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on February 5, 2024. (Credit: MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP/Getty Images )

(CNN) --

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Eduardo Paes, declared a state of public health emergency due to a dengue epidemic, CNN Brazil affiliate CNN Brazil reported.

The rise in dengue cases comes as Rio de Janeiro and the entire country prepare for carnival celebrations, in which millions of people take to the streets to participate in parades and parties.

The carnival and official festivities begin this Friday and last until next Wednesday.

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Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus that is primarily spread by the insect Aedes aegypti, also known to carry other viruses such as yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. United States (CDC).

According to the entity, up to 400 million people around the world are infected with dengue each year, making it the most common virus transmitted by mosquitoes.

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In January alone, the health network of the city of Rio de Janeiro hospitalized 362 people for dengue, a record number that surpasses the previous one from 2008, CNN Brazil reports.

Data from the panel of the Epidemiological Observatory of the Rio de Janeiro City Council indicate that in 2024, 11,202 cases have already been registered. Throughout 2023, there were a total of 22,959 cases.

Last Friday, the municipal secretary of Health of Rio de Janeiro, Daniel Soranz, said that the city is facing an epidemic of the disease and added: "In a single month of 2024 we already have almost half of the cases in the entire world. last year, which generated intense concern.

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Ten centers are planned to be set up in all regions of the city to combat the disease.

The Municipal Health Secretariat plans to vaccinate children as soon as the vaccines are delivered by the Ministry of Health, CNN Brazil reported. The expectation is that in one week the entire population will be vaccinated, which represents 354,000 children.

Only a quarter of people infected with dengue will show symptoms.

The most common symptom is fever, and it may also cause nausea, vomiting, skin rashes or pain, usually behind the eyes, or muscle, joint or bone pain. According to the CDC, there is also no specific medication to treat dengue, but taking acetaminophen can relieve pain and fever.

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