Dengue

In general, health infrastructures in Latin America leave something to be desired. Indeed, health issues are an important aspect of contemporary discussions on Latin America and, moreover, they are related to our recent discussion of land. The failure to expand sanitary systems at the same rate that cities grow leads, as we have seen, to the existence of shanty towns in which people struggle daily for access to clean water, food, and many other vital services most of us take for granted. The recent dengue epidemic in Brazil is a case in point. Dengue—which is very similar to malaria—is caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes who love the tropical climates found in Brazil and the unsanitary conditions that often plague poorer areas of the country. The disease is certainly not the exclusive result of crowded, unhealthy settlements, but these conditions certainly encourage the spread of the disease. The recent epidemic is, to a large extent, a disturbing symptom of land misuse in Brazil, and, seeing as Brazil is considering asking Cuba for doctors, it might result in a considerable loss of human life.