Sao Paulo, Feb 20 : The Brazilian state of Sao Paulo declared a health emergency as dengue cases surge, allowing authorities to accelerate financial and medical response efforts.

Sao Paulo Health Secretary Eleuses Paiva said on Wednesday at a news conference that dengue, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is expected to peak in April, prompting immediate action, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The challenge is enormous... The only way to reduce dengue transmission is to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. It's like a war -- we need a strategy," Paiva added.

The emergency declaration will speed up the purchase of medical supplies and treatments for those infected, he said.

Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous and industrialised state, is home to 46 million people and accounts for 58 per cent of the country's dengue cases, according to the Health Ministry.

The state has reported 124,038 cases and 113 confirmed deaths, with another 82,908 cases and 233 deaths under investigation.

On Friday, Brazil's Health Ministry authorised states to expand dengue vaccinations if doses are nearing expiration.

A total of 21 cities in the state of Sao Paulo have declared a state of emergency due to the increase in the number of dengue cases. In the first two epidemiological weeks of this year, the state has already recorded 18,100 probable cases of the disease, with 4,340 confirmed and the rest under investigation. There are also 30 deaths that are being analysed for the disease.

In the first epidemiological week alone, between December 29, 2024, and January 4 of this year, 7,201 probable cases of the disease were registered in the state of Sao Paulo, an increase of 9.45 per cent compared to the same period last year, when 6,579 probable cases of the disease were registered.

The decree allows municipalities to implement actions related to combating dengue fever more quickly, in addition to allowing them to receive additional resources.

On January 9, the Ministry of Health announced the installation of the Health Emergency Operations Center (COE) for Dengue and other Arboviruses in São Paulo. The objective of the action, the Ministry reported, is to expand the monitoring of arboviruses and guide the execution of actions aimed at epidemiological, laboratory, healthcare surveillance, and vector control.

/IANS