The Municipal Health Secretariat (SMS) on Friday (21) released the result of the third rapid survey of the 2023 Aedes aegypti (LIRAa) outbreak.
This indicator shows that out of every 100 characteristics examined, there was more than one positive outbreak of the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The second LIRAa of 2023, which was scheduled to take place in April, was canceled by SMS, due to the increase in dengue cases in Londrina, in order not to interrupt the measures to prevent transmission of the virus. The first LIRAa of the year, released in January, indicated an incidence rate of 5.50% in the municipality.
The new survey was conducted from July 10-15 on 9,500 residential and commercial properties, as well as vacant buildings and land, in 260 locations in the metropolitan area. The survey showed that 100% of the breeding sites, with larvae and pupae of Aedes aegypti, were found in the area of people’s homes, 84% in abandoned objects thrown into backyards, in potted plants and in stored rainwater, and 16% in objects inside the home.
LIRAa is a simplified method that allows determination of the infestation and distribution of the Aedes aegypti vector in a municipality. It is a sampling work, which makes it possible to determine which neighborhoods are most important and which deposits (foci) are dominant in the area.
The municipal health minister, Felipe Machado, said that the decrease in the LIRAa index was expected due to the cold season, as well as the measures implemented by the City Hall in the fight against Aedes. This includes mottling and ramping up endemic disease agent agendas in the field, and using coastal pumps where infection rates are highest, as well as educational measures. “We can notice that these activities caused positive repercussions, as the LIRAa index was very different from the first one that showed more than 5%,” he stressed.
Dengue fever in neighborhoods
Among all city districts, the east had the highest concentration of positive outbreaks, reaching 1.87% of mosquito larval characteristics. Next up is the northern region of Londrina, which recorded LIRAa of 1.55%. In third place was the southern region, with an infection rate of 1.29%. In fourth place is the central region, with a rate of 0.91%, and finally the western region, with a rate of 0.79%.
The survey also indicated the ten London boroughs most important to the Department of Health due to high rates of Aedes aegypti. They are jatoba in the southern region (13.33%). Alexander Urbanas in the Eastern Province (9.92%); Rosera (South 8.33%); Adriana is also in the south (8.33%); Nossa Senhora Aparecida (North 8.11%); Abu Seif (East, 7.89%); Novo Amparo (East, 7.69%); Paulista in the middle (6.9%); Porto Seguro (North, 6.9%); and Quadra Norte, also in the northern area of the city (6.67%).
The Secretary reported that all the sites that gave mixed numbers in relation to other places, such as the Jatoba district, receive combat operations, for example, cleaning activities, cleaning and irregular disposal, in addition to awareness-raising actions with the community in partnership with local councils and schools.
“The fact that outbreaks occur inside the residences, from the gate to the interior, repeatedly draws our attention. All residents must do their part, not to leave stagnant waters, even in winter, so that we can reach the summer without the risk of a new dengue epidemic. We saw how long the epidemic takes, we suffered from it for several months, we had to restructure the municipal health network, allocate exclusive units to deal with cases of dengue fever and, unfortunately, we recorded 29 deaths. Simple actions, by every citizen,” Machado stressed, It has too much power to prevent a new epidemic.
Dengue victims
With regard to the number of cases of the disease, the SMS stated that since the beginning of 2023 to date, 60,181 suspected cases of dengue fever have been reported, of which 33,230 have been confirmed, 11,444 have been crossed out, and 15,507 are being tested, pending laboratory test results. There have also been 29 deaths from the disease.
In addition to the Municipal Secretary of Health, the presentation of LIRAa was in collaboration with the Coordinator of Endemic Diseases, Nino Ribas, and the Director of Health Surveillance, Fernanda Fabrin. Many representatives of health units and organized civil society attended.
Dengue request
Residents can report characteristics or areas of suspected Aedes aegypti mosquito spread, including vacant spaces or environments that may facilitate vector spread. Contact may be made by calling 0800-400-1893, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. When a citizen is notified that they have suspected locivirus, Endemias teams block cases within 48 hours.
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