In the face of surging dengue cases, 21 cities in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil have declared a state of emergency, the state health authorities said on Friday.
As of Friday, Sao Paulo had registered 4,340 confirmed dengue cases and 30 related deaths in the current round of dengue fever outbreak.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. About half of the world's population is now at risk of dengue with an estimated 100 to 400 million infections occurring each year. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
The Brazilian Ministry of Health announced on Thursday to establish an emergency operations center to address dengue and other arboviruses in Sao Paulo to expand monitoring on arboviruses and strengthen epidemiological, and nursing surveillance, as well as vector control.
Arboviruses are disease-causing viruses transmitted through the bite of hematophagous arthropods, such as mosquitoes and ticks.
Sao Paolo has initiated a national emergency response to curb the spread of dengue, chikungunya and zika.
Dozens of Brazilian cities in health emergency due to surge in dengue cases
