Brazil intensifies mosquito control to combat dengue and chikungunya

Various Brazilian municipalities and the state of Goiás are intensifying efforts to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for dengue, chikungunya, and zika. In Goiás, the State Health Secretariat (SES) has reported 108,673 confirmed dengue cases and 11,311 chikungunya cases, representing significant year-over-year increases. The state is expanding monitoring through ovitraps and providing equipment and larvicides to municipalities.

Local actions include educational blitzes in Ilhéus to raise awareness about breeding sites, which are often located inside private residences. In Mariana, authorities are launching community cleanup drives to collect objects that accumulate water. Similarly, Nova Lima is organizing a scheduled collection program, known as ‘Bota-fora do Aedes’, to remove items like old tires and plastic containers from various neighborhoods to prevent mosquito proliferation.