Dengue: find out how to protect yourself in Carnival blocks – 02/10/2024 – Balance

The number of dengue cases in the first weeks of 2024 are already almost triple the same period in 2023 — and this will be a challenge for those who will enjoy Carnival this year. The main concern is with those who will celebrate outdoors and at daytime events, such as street blocks, trios and children’s matinees, as the transmitting mosquito, the Aedes aegyptieat more at this time.

According to experts, revelers need to take extra care, which includes applying repellent frequently throughout the day, wearing costumes with less exposed skin and preferring air-conditioned spaces.

“It really helps anyone who is indoors to close the windows and doors and turn on the air conditioning, because [o resfriamento] contributes to reducing the mosquito’s metabolism, it becomes less active and bites less”, highlights doctor André Ribas Freitas, epidemiologist and professor at the São Leopoldo Mandic School of Medicine, in Campinas.

Through a technical note, the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) issued an alert for the “almost 300% increase in dengue notifications” in 2024 compared to the previous year, and that the “incidence rate in the month of January is well above the historical average, being considered high risk”.

The trend, according to the entity, is observed across the country. The main serotypes detected in circulation are 1 and 2, although serotypes 3 and 4 are also being found, “a fact that did not occur 15 years ago”.

Pediatric infectious disease specialist Marcos Junqueira do Lago, advisor to the Dean of Health and full professor at UERJ, says that there is, indeed, an increased risk at this time of year. “This Carnival, anyone who goes out to blocks can contract dengue because these are mostly daytime events, and mosquitoes are more active during the day than at night, the person can be bitten”, says Lago.

The pediatrician states that now, although the vaccine is highly effective, the best way to avoid dengue fever during Carnival is to use repellent, since wearing long clothes (both due to the heat and the festive season) ends up being more difficult.

“The available vaccine is very good, it protects against the four serotypes, but mainly against 1 and 2, which are the main ones circulating now. So it’s worth getting the vaccine, but for Carnival there is no time for the vaccine to take effect, which it would be somewhere around 5 to 15 days after immunization”, points out Lago.

Qdenga is applied in two doses with an interval of 90 days between them, containing the four serotypes of the virus and an efficacy of 80.2%.

The UERJ professor remembers that the production of antibodies varies from person to person, and immunization may occur earlier in some cases, but that this is a very individual issue. Furthermore, the vaccine is not released in Brazil for children under 2 years of age and over 60 years of age.

Freitas reinforces that the risk of transmission at home is also high and that prevention must happen everywhere and for everyone. “A person who is at home with the windows open has the same risk as someone who is occasionally outside. The important thing in this period of high dengue transmission, which is occurring practically throughout Brazil, is during the day, when the The dengue mosquito has a greater preference for being bitten by using repellent”, says the epidemiologist.

According to the UERJ note, when choosing a repellent, it is recommended to use those with DEET (N-diethylmetatoluamide), IR3535 or icaridin — both on exposed parts of the body and on clothes.

For children aged 2 to 12 years, use concentrations of up to 10% DEET, a maximum of three times a day, and, for children under 2 years of age, only apply under medical supervision.

Another tip is to drink water at all times (minimum 60 ml per kilo per day), with or without symptoms, since heat and dengue fever are both factors present during Carnival and lead to serious dehydration.

After prevention, it is essential to be aware of possible symptoms of an already established infection. Dengue, according to Lago, is a disease that “depends a lot on good management and early diagnostic suspicion.”

For this reason, anyone experiencing severe body pain, fever, headache, dizziness, nose or gum bleeding and red spots on the skin should seek medical attention urgently.

“Eventually, you won’t even have the diagnosis of dengue confirmed at first, sometimes it’s not possible, but you will receive the correct guidance on which medications, for example, not to use, such as acetylsalicylic acid and anti-inflammatory drugs, which can modify the evolution of the disease. There must be [também] A very big concern with hydration, dengue is a disease that progresses much better when you hydrate well”, says Lago.

The measure of seeking emergency care soon also helps to ensure that people who are ill due to other serious causes, such as leptospirosis or meningitis, have a greater chance of beginning effective treatment. “[No caso da dengue]if he seeks the service at that moment, we can avoid shock, which is the most serious form”, assesses Freitas.

In addition to personal care, it is recommended that the population cover water tanks, drains and sinks; sanitize pet water fountains; install screens and mosquito nets; receive the municipality’s health agents; Dispose of old tires only with the city’s urban cleaning service or, if you need to store them, keep them in a covered place.

It is also worth removing accumulated water from the external tray of the refrigerator and drinking fountains and washing them with soap and water; clean the gutters and slab; put sand on broken glass walls and plant pots; tie the garbage bags tightly; do not dispose of solid waste in abandoned lots or on the street; and carry out an inspection at home at least once a week to find possible larvae outbreaks.