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.

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