Students run Aedes Aegypti prevention campaign involving the school community

Elementary school students raise awareness about the importance of preventing the disease.

By: Gabriel Souza do Rozário

During the month of March, the campaign to combat Dengue is taking place at the Ronaldo Lameira School, raising awareness among the entire school community about the importance of preventing the proliferation of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

During the month of March, classes are reflecting on the importance of preventing the Aedes Aegypti mosquito at home. The students are responsible for replicating this at home and in the neighborhood, as well as producing posters and raising awareness among everyone at school.

To prevent dengue fever, we can start at home, for example: avoiding the accumulation of standing water, such as in flower pots and always filling their dishes with sand, washing pet drinking fountains daily so that they don't create eggs of the mosquito transmitter, always keeping water tanks closed, gutters clean, ensuring that water in backyards and service areas drains well.

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted mainly through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, although other mosquitoes can also transmit it. Here is some important information about dengue fever:

Sintomas: Symptoms of dengue fever include high fever, muscle and joint pain, headache, pain behind the eyes, rash and fatigue. In severe cases, it can cause severe bleeding, shock and even death.

Prevention: Dengue prevention mainly involves eliminating breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito, such as containers of standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs. The use of repellents and window screens is also recommended.

Treatment: There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms, such as fever and pain, and ensuring adequate hydration. In severe cases, hospitalization is necessary to monitor symptoms and provide supportive treatment.

Types of Dengue: There are four serotypes of the dengue virus (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4), and infection with one serotype confers lifelong immunity only to that specific serotype. However, infection with one serotype increases the risk of developing severe forms of the disease if infected with another serotype in the future.

Epidemiology: Dengue is endemic in more than 100 countries worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 390 million infections occur annually, with around 96 million resulting in manifest disease.

Impact on Public Health: Dengue has a major impact on public health, causing human suffering, premature death and significant costs for health systems. In addition, dengue epidemics can overwhelm health systems, especially in countries with limited resources.

Control and Monitoring: Dengue control involves surveillance and monitoring measures to detect early outbreaks of the disease, as well as interventions to reduce the mosquito population, such as insecticide spraying and public education.

It is important that communities are aware of the risks of dengue and take measures to prevent the spread of the virus, especially in areas where the disease is endemic.