Prevention is the best way to combat dengue, a disease that last year caused 1,016 deaths in the country. Therefore, every place that can accumulate water – where the Aedes aegypti lays its eggs– must be periodically inspected.
According to Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund), at least once a week it is necessary to: check that the water tank is well covered, clean the gutters and drip trays of the refrigerator and air conditioning.
It is essential to leave the garbage cans well covered, put sand in the plant dishes, collect and store the garbage from the backyard, cover swimming pools, cover the drains and lower the lids of the toilets.
The Ministry of Health also emphasizes the importance of emptying bottles, not storing tires in uncovered areas and not accumulating water on slabs as initiatives to prevent mosquito proliferation.
To reinforce prevention, the entities list measures that can be taken in personal and family care, such as the use of repellent, preference for light-colored clothing and installation of screens on windows and doors.
In the case of children under two years of age, Unicef recalls that repellents containing DEET (a chemical compound) are not indicated and, in relation to pregnant women, the agency recommends avoiding trips to areas with a higher concentration of mosquitoes. If travel is essential, pregnant women should talk to their doctors and strictly follow the prevention guidelines.
In addition to these measures, physician Antonio Carlos Bandeira, a member of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases (SBI), highlights the fundamental role of the authorities. It is necessary that municipal and state health departments make efforts and that the government encourage new technologies to combat the disease.
“It is necessary to invest in science and technology, in research”, he argues. For him, this is the only way to advance towards a new horizon for the dengue epidemic.
Symptoms
The symptoms of dengue, chikungunya and zika are similar. They include fever of sudden onset accompanied by headache, body and joint aches, prostration, weakness, pain behind the eyes, rash and itchy skin, red spots on the body, as well as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
The ministry’s guidance is that, in the face of signs like these, citizens look for the nearest health unit to their residence as soon as possible.
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