What's behind Brazil's surge in dengue fever?
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00:00 Well, let's find out more about the risks posed by this dengue fever outbreak.
00:06 We can speak to Antoine Flau, who's an epidemiologist and professor of public health, who joins
00:10 us now from Geneva.
00:11 Thank you so much for joining us.
00:12 Professor, is it correct to refer to this dengue outbreak as an epidemic?
00:17 Yes, for sure.
00:20 It's not an endemic disease.
00:21 It's spread by outbreaks.
00:25 And currently, we have a huge outbreak in Latin America, but also in Caribbean islands.
00:31 And it has started a couple of weeks ago.
00:35 And it is really bursting now, much higher than the last epidemic, which was in 2020.
00:44 And what are some of the causes?
00:45 What would trigger an outbreak like this?
00:48 In fact, the cause is a mosquito, because it is a mosquito-borne disease.
00:53 It's not transmissible between humans.
00:56 It needs a mosquito.
00:58 So when the climate is favorable for the mosquitoes, particularly in the warm season, you know,
01:07 it's still summer in the South Hemisphere, and in tropical areas, it's always warm, but
01:13 sometimes it's floating, or sometimes the meteorological conditions are prone to trigger
01:21 such an epidemic.
01:24 What does the disease typically do to people?
01:27 What are the symptoms typically of dengue fever?
01:30 Your documentary was quite precise here.
01:34 They say that for most of the people, it's a benign disease, but for a small proportion,
01:41 maybe 1% may go to the hospital because of a severe form.
01:46 It may be a hemorrhagic fever.
01:48 And usually in good facilities, in modern hospitals, it's easy, more or less easy to
01:55 treat them, but sometimes, unfortunately, it may come to death.
02:00 So there are some complications which may lead to death.
02:05 Okay, and in terms of protection against the disease, I mean, what exists by way of methods
02:13 to prevent it, and also by way of a vaccine?
02:17 So the vaccines are not promising research and development of new vaccines, particularly
02:24 in Brazil, but currently the existing vaccines are a bit disappointing.
02:31 But you can always fight against mosquitoes, because if you are not bitten by mosquitoes,
02:37 you will not have dengue.
02:39 But fighting against mosquitoes is probably easier for tourists, because you can put repellents,
02:47 but of course, when you live in tropical areas, you cannot put all along the year repellents,
02:53 and sometimes it's more difficult.
02:55 So we need to fight against mosquitoes, because these mosquitoes are almost domestic mosquitoes,
03:00 if I can say that, because you grow them in your garden, as it has been said in the documentary,
03:09 at the bottom of pots and flowers.
03:12 So we need to fight against shelters for mosquitoes, not to grow them in your garden, in your balconies.
03:19 Okay, so people can play a part in trying to make sure that the mosquitoes aren't there
03:23 to begin with.
03:25 Will they eventually go away?
03:27 Is it seasonal?
03:28 And therefore, when temperatures drop, and I don't know whether humidity plays a part
03:33 as well, but when the hot season comes to an end, does that therefore bring about an
03:39 end to the risk posed by dengue fever?
03:42 Yes, it's a good question.
03:45 For sure, it is bursting with outbreaks, and it is favoured by these hot seasons.
03:51 Of course, in tropical areas, sometimes you may have all along the year the risk of these
03:58 outbreaks.
03:59 In more temperate zones, in Rio, in Sao Paulo, they have experienced a winter season, which
04:06 is not as cold as in Paris or in Brussels or in Geneva, but it is cooler.
04:14 And at that time of the year, meaning in July and August, usually they do not experience
04:20 these outbreaks of dengue fever.
04:23 Okay, well thank you very much indeed for taking the time to speak to us.
04:26 Professor Antoine Flau in Geneva, thank you very much indeed.