Original version

BBC World Service South Asia

Health Check

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

No Master Brand

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC Afghan Radio

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

Health Check: Dengue outbreak in Latin America

Magazines & Reviews

Dengue Outbreak in Latin America

2024/02/14 GMT

Dengue outbreak in Latin America

BBC World Service - Health Check, Dengue outbreak in Latin America

Dengue clinics set up in Rio de Janeiro’s carnival week amid Latin American outbreak

Dengue cases rise across Latin America. Also, Alaskapox, a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease, kidney transplant diary amd Hydroxyurea for sickle cell anaemia.

Carnival hits the streets in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this week. As well as preparations for the crowds and colourful processions, health authorities have also been putting in extra measures to try to contain a huge outbreak of dengue fever. Last week a health emergency was declared in the city. And as Claudia hears from Peruvian health journalist Fabiola Torres, cases are rising to levels not seen for decades across the whole of Latin America. 

Consultant in public health Dr Ike Anya is in the Health Check studio to take a deeper look at Dengue. He also brings news from Alaska, USA where an elderly man has become the first person to die from Alaskapox, a viral disease more commonly found in small animals like shrews and voles. And could new UK research on 50,000 people’s blood, help us get one step closer to a predictive blood test for Alzheimer’s disease?

Claudia and Ike hear from British journalist Mike Powell who has serious kidney failure. Last week Mike’s kidney transplant operation had to be cancelled due to his donor’s health. He’s hoping for some better news this week.

And Claudia speaks to Dr Ruth Namazzi at Makerere University in Uganda. She is co-author of new research that suggests that a common drug for treating the symptoms of sickle cell anaemia could have a transformative effect amongst children with the blood condition in sub-Saharan Africa.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producers: Clare Salisbury and Ben Motley
Assistant producer: Imaan Moin

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Health Check

Dengue outbreak in Latin America

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service South Asia

About BBC World Service