The numbers of dengue light an alert in the City Hall of Florianópolis, which intensified educational actions to combat the mosquito and visits to places that are potential breeding sites for larvae. Agents from the Center for Zoonoses and Epidemiological Surveillance have been making constant visits to homes, with the aim of alerting the population and teaching how to eliminate outbreaks of Aedes aegypti. Teams from the Department of Infrastructure and Comcap also perform cleaning at points that have a potential focus for mosquito proliferation. These actions are part of Operation Fim da Picada, intensified by the Florianópolis City Hall in recent weeks.

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The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) points out that 80% of the outbreaks of the mosquito that transmits dengue are in residential backyards. Fiocruz classifies as mobile artificial deposits the places where Aedes aegypti larvae are usually found.

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The Dengue Program in Florianópolis explains that these mobile artificial deposits can be plant pots (especially the little dishes placed under the vases), buckets, pots, tires and even pet water fountains.

The work of the teams consists mainly of evaluating the existence of possible outbreaks, especially after long periods of rain, and explaining to the population that the fight against dengue requires simple measures and must be a commitment of all.

“It only takes ten minutes a week of care for the yard or outdoor areas to eliminate these deposits and control the proliferation of the mosquito”, says the Program coordinator.

Measures to combat dengue

There is no way to prevent dengue if you do not fight the reproduction of the mosquito that transmits the dengue virus. As it proliferates in clean standing water, care must be taken, such as:

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• avoid the accumulation of water in containers such as vases and tires;

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• keep gutters clean;

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• keep water tanks covered;

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• cover small plates of pots with soil;

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• close stored pots and bottles;

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• close the drains.

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How is dengue transmitted?

Dengue is caused by a virus, but unlike most viruses, it is not spread by direct person-to-person contact. It takes a female Aedes aegypti to bite an infected person. The eggs of the infected female are laid in places with standing water and hatch into larvae that will turn into mosquitoes infected with the virus.

The bite of these infected mosquitoes is what transmits the disease. There are also cases of transmission between pregnant women and babies and by blood transfusion, but these are rarer and do not cause an epidemic.

What to do in case of contamination?

First, it is necessary to recognize the symptoms of dengue, which can be similar to those of a strong flu or Covid.

Headache, especially behind the eyes, joint pain, tiredness, itchy skin and fever are some of the main symptoms, but the infection can be asymptomatic.

In more severe cases, constant vomiting, severe abdominal pain and mucosal bleeding are reported.

It is recommended to seek medical attention when there are any of these symptoms or when the fever persists for more than two days.

There is no specific treatment for dengue, but some measures must be taken to prevent the disease from getting worse, such as resting and increasing water intake.

The Florianópolis Health Department warns of the risks of self-medication in case of suspected dengue, as the use of some anti-inflammatory drugs or drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) can significantly worsen the condition.

In case of symptoms, the orientation is to seek care in our health units. For more information and guidance, or call the Zoonosis Center (48) 3338-9004.