Dengue in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro state has registered 250 026 cases of dengue in 2008through 29 Oct 2008, including 181 confirmed deaths, with 143 more deaths awaiting confirmation; 56 confirmed deaths were from DHF. Half the cases (125 988) and 105 of the confirmed deaths were in the capital, Rio de Janeiro itself. According to the WHO classification of risk from infestation by the dengue vector mosquito _Aedes aegypti_, a house index (measure of houses where breeding places are found) below one per cent does not constitute an epidemic risk; 1-4 per cent signals an alert, and over 4 per cent a high risk. House index figures released yesterday [29 Oct 2008] showed that in 7 districts of the capital, it ranged from 7-10.8 per cent, and in 9 others above one per cent; only 7 districts surveyed were below one per cent. Comment: The US is often concerned about diseases spread by mosquitoes. We issue advisories to everyone to reduce mosquito harborage, just as in Brazil, and the result is negligible. One has to question the value of health education in emergencies.