Dengue is incurable viral infection and could only be managed, as such, prevention it’s the best response. Residents of the Brazilian city have embarked on a huge operation to eradicate mosquitoes, which spreads the disease, before teams’ arrival.
About 32,384 people were infected this year alone due to ‘dengue fever outbreak. Three people reportedly died. “It’s a record epidemic. It’s bigger than the 11,500 cases registered in all of 2007,” Andrea Von Zuben, the coordinator of the Campinas dengue control program was quoted by the AFP.
Dengue is carried by the aedes aegypti mosquito. The fever is like chronic influenza with severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, vomiting and a rash.
The World Health Organization recommends that people in affected areas avert the infection by preventing mosquito bites with window screens, insect repellent and mosquito coils.
Brazil has been the hardest hit by dengue than any other country in the century. The country has had seven million cases reported between 2000 and 2013.
Ms. Von Zuben said the Campinas outbreak was being driven by a heat wave at the beginning of the year, the prevalence of a particularly virulent dengue strain and poor sanitation that leaves pools of standing water where mosquitoes breed.
But she said the areas where the Nigerian and Portuguese squads will be are a mosquito-control priority for health officials.
“We put larvicides and anti-mosquito poisons at the airport, in the training for the World Cup,… centers and in the hotels, so the teams will run a much smaller risk than the local population,” she added.
The authorities have been in touch with the teams’ doctors, who were “concerned”, Ms. Von Zuben said.
She said her staff had recommended insect repellent.
“We’ve been guaranteed that the situation has been identified and is under control. There shouldn’t be any reason for alarm,” said Ms. Von Zuben told the Portuguese Football Federation, FPF.
In a reaction to the reports, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Ademola Olajiire said they will rely on FIFA’s directive before taking any action, “Well, we can only wait on FIFA directive on what should be done,” he said.
The general secretary of the NFF, Musa Amadu, said on Sunday that they believe FIFA is doing everything to safeguard the team and also that there is no cause for alarm.
“We are confident that FIFA, the LOC and the health authorities are doing everything possible to safeguard the players, officials and fans coming in for the WC and will do everything possible to ensure that they do not come into contact with areas where this disease can be spread,” he said.
The Super Eagles are currently in USA to prepare for their pre-world cup friendly matches before jetting out to the team camp in Campinas, Brazil.
Super Eagles of Nigeria are in Group F with Bosnia-Herzegovinia, Argentina and Iran.
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