MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil's Health Minister asks for citizenry's help fighting dengue

“Now is the time for all of Brazil to unite against dengue,” Trinidade stressed

Brazil's Health Minister Nísia Trindade Tuesday called on the population of South America's largest country to avoid the proliferation of breeding sites for the mosquito that transmits dengue fever as the number of cases of the malady is surging nationwide, Agencia Brasil reported.

According to the authorities, 75% of mosquito breeding sites are inside homes, and therefore “we need to take extra care with our homes and the areas around them,” Trinidade explained. “Let's cover the water tanks, dispose of the garbage properly, keep the animals' water bowls clean, store bottles and tires in covered places, [and] remove accumulated water from pots and plants,” she added.

The official also asked the citizenry to open their doors to sanitary officers. “Welcome them, help them locate and eradicate possible mosquito breeding sites in your home and neighborhood.”

“It's essential that mayors intensify their care with urban cleaning, avoiding the accumulation of garbage and water where mosquitoes proliferate. In the same way, it is essential for governors to support their health systems,” she went on. “Now is the time for all of Brazil to unite against dengue,” she insisted while underlining the role of record heat and above-average rainfall in the increase in Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding sites.

The explosion of dengue cases in various regions of the country has led at least four states - Acre, Minas Gerais, and Goiás, as well as the Federal District - to declare a public health emergency.

See also: Dengue emergency reported in Rio de Janeiro

It is estimated that Brazil could have more than 4.1 million cases in 2024.

Regarding vaccination, Trindade said it would take place progressively, due to the limited number of doses available. Priority will be given to children between the ages of 10 and 14, the age group with the highest number of hospitalizations. The immunizer will be distributed to 521 municipalities because they have the highest incidence of the disease.

“The Health Ministry will coordinate a national effort to expand the production of and access to dengue vaccines,” she also pointed out. The Ministry also insisted this week that ivermectin was not effective against dengue, thus disavowing unsubstantiated rumors on social networks in this regard. There are no data or sources to back up these allegations by some healthcare professionals, it was explained. The antiparasitic drug had also been advocated during the Covid-19 pandemic as an early treatment, albeit without any proven efficacy.

“To be clear: ivermectin is also ineffective in reducing the viral load of dengue. The Ministry of Health does not recognize any protocol that includes the drug for the treatment of the disease,” the federal government warned in a statement. “Spreading fake news, especially when it comes to an epidemiological scenario that calls for attention, is extremely dangerous,” it added. The official protocol for dengue is for the doctor to identify the symptoms based on a survey of the patient. The professional may or may not then order laboratory tests.

For mild cases, the recommendation is rest for the duration of the fever; hydration (fluid intake); administration of paracetamol or dipyrone in case of pain or fever. The patient cannot take acetylsalicylic acid. In most cases, there is a spontaneous cure after 10 days.

”It is very important to return immediately to the health service in the event of alarm signs (intense and continuous abdominal pain, nausea, persistent vomiting, and bleeding from the mucous membranes). The protocol suggests hospitalizing the patient for proper clinical management,” the Ministry stressed while underlining that these procedures were based on scientific evidence and that the drugs have been approved by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).

Around 3.2 million people should be vaccinated against dengue in Brazil by 2024, considering the limited capacity for manufacturing doses by the Japanese laboratory Takeda, which has announced in a statement released earlier this week that supply of the Qdenga vaccine would be channeled through the federal government, thus suspending all direct contracts with states and municipalities. Priority will be also allocated in the private network to people who have already taken the first dose so that they can complete their vaccination scheme after a 3-month interval.

According to the company, the measure was taken after the inclusion of Qdenga in Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) and the worsening of the dengue epidemic in various regions of the country.

”In line with the principle of equity in health, Takeda is committed to supporting the health authorities, so its efforts are focused on meeting the demand of the Ministry of Health, according to the vaccination strategy defined by the Department of the National Immunization Program (DPNI), which considers age groups and regions to receive the vaccine. As already announced, we have guaranteed the delivery of 6.6 million doses for the year 2024 and the provisioning of a further 9 million doses for the year 2025. At the same time, we are looking for all possible solutions to increase the number of doses available in the country, and we will spare no effort to do so,” the statement read.

The decision does not jeopardize commitments previously signed with municipalities before the incorporation of Qdenga into the SUS, the company noted.

Also according to the pharmaceutical company, the global supply of the Qdenga vaccine is expected to reach 100 million doses per year by 2030, which includes a new international center dedicated to vaccine production in Germany, scheduled to be launched in 2025.

The Qdenga vaccine was approved for registration by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in March 2023. The process allows the product to be marketed in Brazil, as long as the approved conditions are maintained.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)