00:00 A public health emergency declared in Rio de Janeiro.
00:04 As millions gather for the carnival, authorities are rallying to combat an explosion of mosquito-borne
00:10 dengue fever in the city's favelas.
00:13 At this school, officials have come to tackle an infestation.
00:19 This is a dangerous place.
00:20 There are children around, so we're closing this over.
00:24 We're putting some ray-finned fishes in here.
00:27 They eat mosquito lava.
00:31 The number of dengue fever cases in Brazil has increased fourfold.
00:35 In January 2024, over 262,000 probable cases were recorded, compared to just over 65,000
00:43 in the same period last year.
00:45 Dengue fever can be fatal, although most people don't develop symptoms.
00:50 Residents are advised to prevent mosquitoes from gaining access to water, so they can't
00:54 breed.
00:55 I have plants at home, but we're very careful.
00:58 I don't put plates in the pots.
01:00 We water them, but we're very careful.
01:02 We have everything covered at home.
01:05 Here in Brasilia, a field hospital has been set up to treat dengue patients.
01:09 The Brazilian government has announced a free vaccination campaign targeting 3.2 million
01:14 people beginning in February.
01:17 Priority will go to children aged 10 to 14, the group with the highest number of hospitalisations.
