We will go back to some of our tweets of interest of the past
week and expand further on the indicators that we presented as they
affect the security situation of a country. When we produce vulnerability
assessments for our clients, six threat factors are analyzed and assessed while
four hazards are also analyzed and assessed. If gaps are identified they are
covered by atmospherics elements. The goal of our tweets is to
highlight and provide examples of the research that we do. The intent behind today's blog
post is not to discourage but to inform the reader.
From 21 May:
@RonanKelly13 @FluTrackers Sao Paolo has reported almost 1000 cases alone in last 2 weeks. Cuiaba, Curitiba, Porto Alegre also high cases.
Our comment: Dengue fever is also known as "break bone fever" and is a mosquito-borne (from the Aedes aegypti mosquito) tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. There are a few facts that we know about dengue fever within Brazil; there were 1.4 million reported cases of dengue in 2013, there was a recent outbreak in April 2014 and most of Brazil’s cities have an endemic population of mosquitoes. Manaus and Sao Paolo seem to be the two cities most at risk from the mosquito borne disease. Recently, Sao Paolo recorded 784 new cases in the first week of May. Three new areas of the south american metropolis have been identified with above normal incidence of the disease: Jaguara, Vila Jacuí and Vila Leopoldina. Additionally, the situation is a cause for concern in Jaguaré, Lapa, Rio Pequeno (all in the west), Carrão (in the east) and Tremembé (in the north) for a grand total of eight such locations in the city and over 5000 cases so far in 2014. Jaguaré (one death reported) and Lapa have the highest cases and should be avoided. The Arena de Sao Paolo, is located in the neighbourhood of Itaquera in the east. Sao Paolo authorities have not disclosed how many more deaths might have happened from the disease. Other cities where cases of dengue have been regularly reported are Natal, Salvador and Fortaleza. Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Cuiaba and Brasilia are deemed to be at lesser risk.
Dengue can cause severe flu-like symptoms and in severe cases can
be fatal. There is no vaccine or medication that protects against dengue
fever and travellers are at risk in areas where dengue occurs. Symptoms
usually occur within 14 days and may include high fever, severe headache,
pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain and nausea. As a last fact, the FIFA host cities that are situated in the south of the country should experience cooler temperatures and as such it is likely that mosquito activity may be reduced compared to Manaus or Natal.
Our outlook: We have collated much information pertaining to the disease to date.
First, Brazil seems to be a hot spot for Dengue. Second, Brazilian authorities
have issued statements that were either misguided, over optimistic or erroneous
in the past few months, as the FIFA World Cup nears. Regardless of what was
said, prevention is the best bet against mosquito bites since there are no
vaccines or drugs against dengue. Here are some common sense advice that are
likely to protect visitors to Brazil:
- Dress in
long sleeves & pants
- See a
doctor ASAP if you suspect any symptoms
- Wear
repellent on skin surface and clothes as required
- Avoid or
leave areas if mosquitoes are encountered
- Avoid being
outdoors around sunrise and sunset, when mosquitoes are most active
- Air conditioning
and windows with screens will help avoid the pest in your hotel room
Every
travel destination is uniquely different and requires adequate research,
analysis and accurate assessments to properly advise against the
possible threats and hazards. We welcome inquiries so we can determine
your security needs. Your first consultation is always free. We
invite you to review our past twitter posts @parsecconsult as well as this
blog's entries.
We
encourage feedback and questions to our e-mail:parsec.consulting@gmail.com
Our
website: http://parsecconsulting.wix.com/parsecconsulting
Attribution: copies and redistribution
of the above material in any medium or format
is authorized providing full attribution
is credited by using full link of present blog.
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