MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“D” for dengue pandemic

Brazil is mobilized against a dengue epidemic that stated in Rio do Janeiro and seems to be spreading to other areas of the country is spite of all efforts to combat the deadly mosquito responsible for the transmission of the disease.

Thousands of soldiers, firemen, health workers and volunteers are in the streets of Rio helping residents to get rid of all stagnant water where the mosquitoes breed.

Officially so far 80,000 people have caught the disease and 30 cases have been reported dead in Rio do Janeiro only. However private estimates believe the number of infected could be several times higher given work absenteeism and the spread of the disease to other large cities including Sao Paulo.

Dengue causes high fever, severe muscle pains and usually does not kill but a virulent variety, hemorrhagic dengue, can be fatal.

The disease has also sparked controversy over government cuts in health programs, --blamed for the current outbreak--, and spilled to the political arena where former Health Minister and presidential hopeful, in next November's election, José Serra, is being attacked and ridiculed for the spread of the disease.

The Brazilian government alleges it has invested more that 250 million US dollars in the dengue prevention campaign.

Another area hard hit is Ciudad Del Este, in the triple border area, (where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet), a sprawling city with limited sewage and drinking water systems.

Argentina has requested US support to help prevent the disease from spreading south.In Argentina and Uruguay several cases have been reported but so far they are all recent visitors to Rio do Janeiro.