AMERICAS

BraziliansShrugOffZikaFearstoRevelinCarnival

Fun

ByANDREWJACOBS FEB.10,2016

SALVADOR,Brazil—Fromamosquito’spointofview,thesweaty,minimallyclothedmultitudesthronging thestreetsofthisnortheasterncityonMondaynightmusthavelookedespeciallydelectable.

Drunkon beerandpreoccupiedby theprodigiouscarnalpossibilities,youngmenandwomendanced theirwayalongAvenidaOceânicaas Brazilianpopiconsperformingatopgiantmotorizedstagesexhorted themtojump,partyandcelebratelife.

Momentarilydistractedfromthebacchanal,MarianaSouza,26,rolledhereyeswhenaskedaboutZika, themosquito­bornevirusthatisragingacrossthenationandmuchofLatinAmerica.“DoIlookworried?” Ms.Souza,ashopclerkdressedinshort­shortsandastringyhaltertop,shoutedabovethedin.“Askmenext week,afterCarnivalisover.”

DespitedeepeningfearandworryacrosstheAmericassincetheWorldHealthOrganizationdeclared thatZikaisaglobalemergency,millionsofBraziliansthisweekofferedacollectiveshrugandtooktothe streetstocelebrateCarnival.Suchdispassionhasalarmedpublichealthofficials,whoarescramblingtocurb theoutbreakamongapopulationthathaslonglivedwithmosquitoes—andwhichseldomtakesprecautions toavoidbites,especiallythosetoopoortoaffordrepellent,windowscreensorair­conditioning.

InconversationswithscoresofrevelersinRiodeJaneiro,SãoPauloandSalvador,onlyahandful expressedconcernaboutZika—andfewpeopleworethepantsorlong­sleeveshirtsthatwouldreducethe chanceofmosquitobites.

“CarnivalinRio:APartyforHumansandaFeastforMosquitoes”ishowonenewspaperheadline summedupthemood.

HereinSalvador,animpoverished,swelteringcityofthreemillionthathasbeenhithardbyZika,hotels arefullybooked,newsoutletsarefixatedonCarnival,andcologne­suffusedsweat,notmosquitorepellent,is thedominantscentwaftingthroughthecrowdsthatgatherdayandnight.Accordingtosomeestimates, attendanceisup25percentoverlastyear.

Amidsoaringunemployment,aplummetingcurrencyandanexpandingcorruptionscandalthat threatensthepresidencyofDilmaRousseff,ZikabarelyregistersamongBrazilians.

“Mostofmyfriendsaremoreworriedaboutfindingjobs,”saidAndreOlveira,38,theownerofasmallhotel inSalvadorthatwentbellyuplastyear.Henotedthatdenguefever,anothermosquito­transmittedvirusthat killedmorethan800peopleinBrazillastyear,isfarmorepernicious.“Ifyou’renotapregnantwoman,you don’tneedtoworry.Let’sbehonest:BrazilianshavefarbiggerproblemsthanZika.”

Still,foroutsiders,thesightofsomanypeoplegallivantingaboutinvariousstagesofundressand seeminglyoblivioustothepotentialdangersofZikacanbestriking.

Thewarninglastweekthatthevirusmightbetransmittedthroughsalivaappearedtohavelittleimpact onthehallowedtraditionofsnoggingcompletestrangers.Anentirelyunscientificsurveyofrevelerswho wereaskedaboutthedangersofcontractingZikathroughunprotectedsexyieldedexpressionsthatblended ridiculewithdisbelief.

Carnivalissimplyplayingitstime­honoredroleasanationalescapevalveduringtoughtimes,saidRaul

JusteLores,editoratlargeatFolhadeSãoPaulo,oneofthenation’slargestnewspapers.

Duringthecurrencycrisisof1999,foreignmediaoutletsthatpredictedasubduedCarnivalinRiowere provedwrongbyjubilant,recordcrowds.“Nocrisishaseverdiminishedthemagicandexcitementof Carnival.Duringpessimisticanddepressingtimes,itbecomesmoreimportant,”Mr.Loressaid.“It’s escapismonsteroids.”

CitingthegrowingthreatofZika,somecriticshavequestionedthestategovernment’sdecisiontoadd twonightstothetraditionalfive­daypre­Lentenfestival,whichendsWednesday;othershavebemoaned whattheydescribedaslacklusterpubliceducationaboutthevirusandpiecemealeffortsatmosquito eradication.InmanyBraziliancities,mosquitorepellenthasbecomenearlyimpossibletofind.

“It’sjustabsurd,”saidDr.GúbioSoares,avirologistattheFederalUniversityofBahiawhoidentified someofthefirstcasesofZika.“It’slikeCaesarinRome:Hegavethepeoplecircusandbread,butinBrazilwe onlygetthecircus.”

Comparedwiththeinternationalrenownandwell­orchestratedcelebrationsofRio,CarnivalinSalvador feelsmoreunscriptedandattimeschaotic.Mostoftheactiontakesplaceonnarrowcitystreetsblastedwith thesoundsofaxé,anAfro­CaribbeaninfluencedgenreofmusicthatwasbornincoastalBahia,thestatethat countsSalvadorasitscapital.

Despitecongalinesofscowling,truncheon­bearingmilitarypolice,pickpocketseagerlyworkthecrowd andepisodicbrawlsonlybrieflydentthemerriment.Thisyear,thebiggestcontroversyappearstobea mayoraldecisiontograntamonopolytoasinglebeercompany,Schin,promptingaclashbetweenthepolice andprotestingbeveragevendorswhosegoodshadbeenconfiscated.Mostyears,morethantwomillion people,mostofthemBrazilian,participateinwhathasbeendescribedastheworld’slargeststreetfestival.

Braziliandoctorshavereportedmorethan4,000casesofmicrocephaly—arareconditioninwhich infantsarebornwithabnormallysmallheads—thattheybelievearelinkedtotheZikavirus,thoughthe numberofconfirmedcasesismuchsmaller.Bysomeestimates,thevirushasinfectedmorethanamillion Brazilians,thoughfewpeopleexperiencesymptoms,whichincludejointpain,feverandarash.Health officialsinsomeaffectedareashavealsoreportedasurgeincasesofGuillain­Barrésyndrome,anerve disorderthatcancausetemporaryparalysisandleavesomepatientsdependentonlifesupport.

InthefaceofZika,dengueandotherdiseasesspreadbymosquitoes,Dr.SoaressaidtheBrazilian governmenthadfailedtoexpandmosquitoeradicationorimprovethenation’soverburdenedhealthcare system.Moremoney,headded,shouldbespentonZikaresearchandprovidingpoorBrazilianswith repellent.“Carnivalislikeanesthesia,”hesaid.“Itstopspeoplefromthinkingabouttheproblemswehave.”

Theapathy,however,isnotubiquitous.FabrizioAndrade,35,ahairdresserfromAracaju,thecapitalof

SergipeState,saidhebeganslatheringhisbodywithmosquitorepellentafterhisyoungerbrothercontracted

Zikalastmonth.“I’mfrightenedtodeathofmosquitoes,”hesaid,shortlybeforetakingoffhisshirtand disappearingintoadancingmob.

EventhosewhoacknowledgedtheirfearsofZikasaidtheirdreadwastemperedbyabeliefthattough timesshouldnevergetinthewayofagoodparty.Takingapausefrombangingonadrum,PriscilaLacerda,

28,acookfromRiowhoiseightmonthspregnant,saidmanypregnantwomensheknewrefusedtoleave theirhomes,ordidsoonlyfullycovered.

Shesaidthatshewasvigilantaboutwearingmosquitorepellent,andthatshemadesurethepotted plantsinherhomewerefreeofstandingwater.

“Idon’twanttodevelopaneurosisoverZika,”shesaid.“I’mnottotallyrelaxedaboutitnow,butI’mnot goingtostopliving.”