Aedes mosquitoes almost impossible to eradicate, says Brazilian researcher

It is almost impossible to eradicate Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the vector for dengue, zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever, said the chair of Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Dr. Nísia Trindade, at a seminar on yellow fever and primate monitoring in Rio de Janeiro state on Tuesday (Jan. 31).

“The battle against Aedes is perhaps our biggest public health challenge, as there are so many aspects that need be addressed if we really want to effectively combat and eliminate the vector mosquito for these diseases. At present it is almost impossible to eliminate it,” said Dr. Trindade.

“That's why we are here talking about endemic disease control, systematic monitoring policies, and so on. Summertime provides the perfect occasion for insect breeding, but we must continue to fight them all year round. We need to monitor humans and animal health as one single issue, because monkeys are part of the yellow fever cycle in the wild,” she explained.

Yellow fever

Dr. Trindade tried to ease the widespread concern over yellow fever. “It should be pointed out that this is not a desperate situation. We have enough vaccines to immunize those who need it, and for those who don't, please don't use it, save it for the target population,” she advised.

Rio de Janeiro State Health Surveillance Under-Secretary Alexandre Chieppe pointed out his state is not experiencing an outbreak, although the authorities remain on the watch.

“Of course we're on the alert as our neighbor state has just seen an outbreak, but there is no evidence of yellow fever in our state,” he said.

“We are taking preventative action and keeping a vaccination belt in cities closer to the boundary with Minas Gerais state, and we also offer immunization ten days in advance to those traveling there. We have enough vaccines to meet this demand.”

Translated by Mayra Borges

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