Rampant dengue fever across Brazil has forced many families to call off their weekend getaway plans as the country's tourism sector takes a hit from the mosquito-borne disease.
Brazil had reported a record of more than 4.27 million cases of dengue and 2,197 deaths in 2024, the highest number ever registered for the epidemic, the country's federal health authorities said on Saturday.
A water park in the resort town of St. Elizabeth, located 70 km northeast of Sao Paulo, is normally packed with tourists in the scorching summer, with hotel reservations often made a week in advance. In recent days, however, the park has seen a marked decline in visitors due to cases that have been reported in the town and surrounding communities.
To help ensure the safety of visitors, the park's management team has sent in additional employees to intensify prevention measures.
"We add disinfectant in the swimming pool to prevent mosquitoes, and we have workers in charge of cleaning the park," said Leonardo, a worker.
"There used to be a lot of visitors. Especially on Saturdays and Sundays, our park used to be packed with tourists, double or triple what it is now," said Fernandes, a tour guide.
In the same period last year, Brazil saw more than 900,000 cases, while the total number of probable and confirmed cases in 2023 surpassed 1.6 million.
In South America's largest city Sao Paulo, home to almost 13 million inhabitants, the dengue epidemic has appeared in every neighborhood, according to the City Hall.
According to the ministry, the surge in cases this year is related to factors such as climate change and the circulation of multiple serotypes of dengue virus.
Dengue fever deals blow to Brazil's tourism sector
