Dengue infestation drops by almost 50% in Salvador.

Bahia 247 - A new study on the dengue situation in Salvador reveals a nearly 50% reduction in the Building Infestation Index (IIP), which fell from 3,2% in March to 1,8% this September. In other words, for every 100 properties in the capital, 1,8 have breeding sites for Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that transmits the disease.

The result of the survey conducted in 190 properties, which still characterizes the city as 'on alert' for the occurrence of an epidemic of the disease, is attributed to a series of interventions, mobilization and awareness-raising among the population through campaigns and educational actions, as well as the intensification of the activities of the Zoonosis Control Center (CCZ) house-to-house, the opening of abandoned properties and the numerous clean-up campaigns carried out in priority neighborhoods through the coordination of different municipal departments.

During the clean-up campaigns, more than half a ton of trash and unusable material was collected from the streets and properties visited, in addition to the treatment of 4.500 larvae breeding sites and the elimination of more than 5 others. According to the coordinator of the Municipal Dengue Control Program, Isabel Guimarães, the surveys serve to guide the actions of the Municipal Health Department.

"Even with a considerable reduction, we are still above the ideal rate. Therefore, the alert remains active, as does our work throughout the city, because the fight against Aedes aegypti is continuous. However, we will complement the daily activities of the Zoonosis Control Center with strategic actions, such as clean-up campaigns and community efforts in areas still vulnerable to mosquito proliferation. For this, it is also important that the population remains vigilant and collaborates with the public authorities," he states.

According to the study, 58 neighborhoods have an infestation rate equal to or less than 1,0%, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), meaning they are not at risk of an epidemic of the disease. On the other hand, 14 neighborhoods still present a high risk of an epidemic occurring, registering an infestation rate above 4%, such as Boa Viagem, Caminho de Areia, and Alto do Cabrito.