Ipatinga and Ilhéus see sharp drop in Aedes aegypti infestation

The municipal health authorities in Ipatinga, Minas Gerais, completed a second Rapid Infestation Index (LIRAa) survey in May, reporting the Aedes aegypti mosquito index falling from 1.5% to 0.7% in several neighborhoods and decreasing overall from 5.3% to 3.8% in historically high‑risk areas. A team of 102 health agents, supervisors and technicians carried out intensified monitoring and community outreach, emphasizing removal of water‑holding containers.

In Ilhéus, Bahia, the latest LIRAa data show the infestation index dropping from 9.1 to 3.7, pulling the city out of the national high‑risk category but keeping it in an alert zone. Field coordinator Roberto Almeida credited intensified house visits, inspections of hospitals, cemeteries and scrap yards, school education campaigns, awareness blitzes and the use of a costal machine, together with resident participation in eliminating breeding sites. Some neighborhoods still show higher rates, while others have reached low levels.

Both cities stress that continued public vigilance is required to sustain the gains and prevent dengue, Zika and chikungunya transmission.