February means it is already Carnival season in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, the Carnival may get a bit complicated as a dengue outbreak is gripping the city. It got so bad that a state of emergency has been declared.
Over 10,000 cases of dengue fever have been registered since the year began, sparking a healthcare crisis in the city that is currently bracing for an influx of visitors as Carnival approaches. Dengue is a viral disease caused by mosquito bites and has proven fatal for many.
The world-famous event is scheduled to happen from February 10-14. It will proceed as planned despite the health emergency, according to BNN, with the city government of Rio de Janeiro already taking several precautions to lower the rate of infection.
These measures include opening at least ten healthcare centers, as well as an emergency operations center. The city has also added more hospital beds allocated for dengue patients, as well as employed “smoke cars” to diffuse insecticide in the regions that have been affected by the dengue outbreak the most in an effort to contain the mosquitoes spreading the virus.