Dengue risk forecasted for soccer World Cup in Brazil

Twelve cities in Brazil are gearing up to host World Cup soccer games in just a few weeks, and part of that preparation includes preventing outbreaks of dengue fever. A new early warning system estimates that the risk of an outbreak is highest for the host cities of Recife, Fortaleza and Natal, researchers report May 17 in Lancet Infectious Diseases. A city is labeled high risk if more than 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants are predicted in a month for a region.

The forecast, which provides warnings of dengue epidemics up to three months in advance, could help with planning intervention strategies to prevent outbreaks, the researchers write.