In Rio, rife with dengue, bacteria-infected mosquitoes are making a difference
Since Rio de Janeiro declared a public health emergency after an outbreak of dengue fever last month, the city has ramped up testing capacities, opened up a dozen of dengue health centers and trained medical staff to attend the ever-growing needs of its population
NITEROI (AP) — Since Rio de Janeiro declared a public health emergency after an outbreak of dengue fever last month, the city has ramped up testing capacities, opened up a dozen dengue health centers and trained medical staff to attend to the ever-growing needs of its population.
But in Rio’s sister city of Niteroi, just across the Guanabara Bay, it's a different story. Home to about half a million people, Niteroi has had just 403 suspected cases of dengue so far this year, and its incidence rate per capita is one of the lowest in the state, with 69 confirmed cases per 100,000 people.
By comparison, the city of Rio has an incidence rate of 700 per 100,000 people, with more than 42,000 cases.
The dengue virus is passed between humans by infected mosquitoes, but a type of bacteria called Wolbachia can interrupt transmission of the disease.
