Brazilian towns at risk of dengue fever

The number of Brazilian towns at risk of dengue fever has reached 157 this year, twice as many as the figure last year, the Brazilian Health Ministry warned Tuesday. According to the ministry, authorities found the 157 towns at the risk of the epidemic after inspections were conducted in 1,239 towns. The figure is likely to increase, as several state capitals have yet to present their most recent dengue statistics. "We must be prepared for a scenario worse than in 2012," said Jarbas Barbosa, secretary of Health Awareness at the Health Ministry, adding dengue prevention measures will be stepped up across Brazil. This year, Brazil has registered 1.476 million cases of dengue fever from January to early November, nearly three times the figure of 545,000 cases registered in 2012, and a total of 573 people have died from the disease in the past 11 months of the year. The figures are also higher than those registered in 2010 when dengue spread to several parts of Brazil. Dengue fever is a tropical disease that is prevalent in Brazil, especially during the current rainy summer season in the southern hemisphere. The hemorrhagic variation of the disease can be fatal.