2010-12-07 11:28

BRASILIA - Twenty four cities in Brazil are at risk of dengue outbreak with 154 others on alert, the government said Monday.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has briefed governors and mayors on the situation and urged them to act immediately to kill mosquitos that cause dengue fever, the health ministry said in a statement.

"We have to spread the idea that dengue is not only the government's problem. If the community does not get involved, and if there is not a joint effort with other sectors, we will continue to see an increase in cases and deaths from dengue in Brazil," Gerson Penna, a representative of the ministry said in the statement.

In November, Health Minister Jose Gomes started his inspection tours in  several Brazilian states, launching a national campaign to combat dengue.

This year's campaign will have a different theme, sending a more direct message to the public about the grave consequence of dengue and appealing to every person to do his or her share to eliminate mosquitoes at their homes, said the ministry.

In 2009, the Health Ministry reported 323,876 diagnosed cases of dengue and 298 deaths from the disease. Although complete data for 2010 are still unavailable, 936,260 suspected cases and 592 possible deaths have been reported so far.