The city of Sao Paulo declares a dengue emergency and announces the hiring of more than 500 doctors

Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo, declared this Monday a state of health emergency due to the development of the dengue epidemic, which is spreading across Brazil at an unprecedented speed. This was stated by the mayor of Sao Paulo, Ricardo Nunez, a candidate for re-election in the October municipal elections.

This Sunday, the city exceeded the mark of 300 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an epidemic level, registering 414. According to the municipal government, since the beginning of the year, that is, in less than three months in São Paulo 49,721 infections and at least 11 deaths have been reported, with other suspected deaths still being analyzed.

Nunez also announced the hiring of 500 more doctors to exclusively care for patients with dengue symptoms and said that 78 AMA offices, ambulatory care and health centers scattered throughout the area will extend their opening hours from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. . In another effort to combat the epidemic, Ricardo Nunez announced the urgent hiring of 3,500 field combat agents to bolster teams of municipal employees who go door-to-door looking for outbreaks of mosquitoes that carry the disease.

The city declared a state of emergency two weeks after the state of Sao Paulo, which has a total of 645 municipalities, did the same. The state has now reported 234,564 cases and 78 confirmed deaths, with another 201 still being tested.

Across Brazil, dozens of cities and 11 states have declared a state of emergency due to the epidemic since the beginning of the year. According to the Ministry of Health, the total number of dengue fever cases across the country now stands at 1,684,781 cases and has caused at least 513 deaths, with another 903 people under suspicion.