Brazil institutes D-Day against dengue mosquito

Brazil's federal government is launching a campaign today dubbed “D-Day: a Mosquito-Free Friday,” aimed at drawing people's attention to the importance of fighting the Aedes aegypti—especially near summer, when the mosquito breeds more easily.

Home visits and group cleanups are being conducted, along with the distribution of instructional material and other activities to eliminate the breeding sites of the mosquito that transmits dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.

The latest Quick Survey on Aedes aegypti Infestation Rates found that 357 cities face major risks for these mosquito-borne diseases, as larvae were found in stagnant water in over 9% of households.

Since Zika virus was first identified in Brazil and a link was established late in 2015 with neurological malformations like microcephaly, the Brazilian government created the National Coordination and Control Room to mobilize federal as well as state and municipal agencies against the mosquito.

Dengue, Zika, and chikungunya

By November 18, 2017, 241,218 likely cases of dengue were reported throughout the country, down 84% from the same period in 2016 (1,465,847). The death toll was also reported to plunge—from 695 in 2016, to 125 in 2017.

As for chikungunya, up to November 18 184,525 likely cases were reported—a 32% fall from the same period last year (272,805). This year, 152 people were confirmed dead from chikungunya after laboratory examination, against 213 last year.

Nearly 17 thousand likely cases of infection with Zika virus were notified in Brazil by the same date, down 92% compared to 2016 (214,418). Likely cases among pregnant women amounted to 2,205, 910 confirmed after examination.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira