Rio de Janeiro has not seen so few dengue fever cases for the beginning of the year since 2000, when records were kept,  according to data from the Municipal Health Department.

Aedes aegypti/CDC

In January 2021, only 15 dengue cases were reported with no deaths.

2005 was the previous low in a January when 67 cases were reported.

Also according to analysts at the Rio 21 Institute, it appears that the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus contributed to the non-occurrence of so many cases of Dengue in the city of Rio, as the numbers for 2020 and 2021 show a strong downward trend .

The month of January had less rain than normal in the city of Rio is also pointed out as an important factor, because it ends up generating less standing water, where the female of the Aedes mosquito deposits its larvae.

“Although we can celebrate these small victories, such as the smallest number of cases and no deaths in recent years, we need to pay attention to the fact that, although we are experiencing a new pandemic, dengue has not ceased to exist. Care to combat the disease must still be carried out. If today there is this partial victory, there is certainly a significant contribution from learning and practice in combat and prevention, not only by the government, but also by the population of Rio. This cannot be ignored, especially if our goal is to eradicate it in the near future ”, highlight the specialists from the Rio 21 Institute.