Electric meter readers help identify Aedes aegypti breeding sites

The Energy Company of Brasília (CEB) found an efficient way to help combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Meter readers automatically notify the existence of potential breeding sites at the places they visit.

Welson Silva, one of the 244 meter readers of the energy company serving the Federal District (DF), visits about 200 properties every day to measure the energy consumption of houses and stores and to submit their electricity bills. Since last Saturday (Feb. 13), he has to perform a new task: identify the Aedes aegypti potential breeding sites along his route.

Only during their first day of work, the employees identified 91 potential breeding sites of the dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus transmitter.

The meter readers will not get in the houses to inspect, nor will they directly notify consumers to the problem. At the moment they measure the energy consumption, the reader can use a specific code in the equipment that measures the consumption to indicate potential breeding sites. The information will be passed on to environmental oversight agencies by CEB, and they will visit the place to test for Aedes aegypti larvae.

"We reach every house and we will certainly find more breeding sites than if it was only in one house," said Welson Silva.

In a house in Núcleo Bandeirante, a neighborhood 13 kilometers away from the center of Brasília, Silva found a manhole with a lot of stagnant water.

In a house in Núcleo Bandeirante, a neighborhood 13 kilometers away from the center of Brasília, Silva found a manhole with a lot of stagnant water. A resident of the neighboring house, Sara Soares, reported that the place has been cleaned, but it has flooded again. Sara praised the meter readers' work on identifying the Aedes aegypti potential breeding sites. "I think it's good because this disturbs us. Nodoby comes around, not even the building's owner shows up," says the resident.

According to David Mendes, service manager of the outsourcing firm that reads CEB meters, the idea is for this to become an ongoing task for the meter readers, "because next month they will be back at the same address."

National coverage

The Ministry of Mines and Energy estimates that  around 60 and 70 million houses and stores are monthly visited by about 40,000 meter readers throughout Brazil. Currently, 55% of the country's 63 electrical distributors are performing actions to combat the mosquito by training meter readers, and sparking alerts on electricity bills and internally mobilizing staff.

According to the Brazilian Association of Electrical Distributors (ABRADEE), the goal is to have all the country's firms taking part in the campaign. "We have all agreed that it is a very important action, so all we need to do is to provide people with training, to mobilize," explained  Association's President Nelson Leite.

According to him, the attention devoted to identifying the mosquito's potential breeding sites will not interfere with the professionals' work.

According to Mines and Energy Minister Eduardo Braga, it is important to have the electricity sector taking part in the fight against the mosquito because there are energy companies in all the country's municipalities. "The electrical distribution companies and energy companies are in general joining this movement to help. Our outreach is very large, we are everywhere in the country and we give a firm commitment," he said.

In addition to the meter readers' work, the electricity bills will be issued with alerts for symptoms of the diseases transmitted by the mosquito. "Reporting fever, itching, headache, and other symptoms: it can be dengue, chikungunya, or zika. Drink lots of fluid and go to a unit of SUS [Unified Public Healthcare System]," reads the message.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta

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