Dengue prevention: 4 simple measures to avoid the disease

To prevent dengue fever, it is important to adopt measures that prevent the reproduction of the transmitting mosquito, such as eliminating objects that accumulate stagnant water, such as tires, bottles and plants. Furthermore, it is important to apply larvicides in places where there is standing water, and it is important that this application is carried out by trained professionals.

It is also recommended to use repellent and longer clothing to avoid bites, in addition to taking the dengue vaccine, which is available to people over 45 who have had dengue more than once and/or live in areas with many cases of dengue fever. dengue.

Dengue is a disease transmitted by the bite of a female mosquito. Temples of the Egyptians, which causes symptoms such as pain in the joints, body, head, nausea, fever above 39ºC and red spots on the body. See more about the symptoms of dengue fever.

How to avoid dengue fever

Some of the most important precautions for preventing dengue are:

1. Eliminate sources of standing water

The mosquito that transmits dengue fever proliferates in places with stagnant water, so eliminating sources of water is essential to prevent the mosquito from reproducing:

• Keep the dishes of flower pots and plants with sand;
• Store bottles with the mouth facing down;
• Always clean the pipe gutters;
• Do not throw garbage on vacant lots;
• Always place trash in closed bags;
• Keep buckets, water tanks and swimming pools always covered;
• Leave tires protected from rain and water;
• Eliminate plastic cups, soft drink lids, coconut shells in bags that can be sealed;
• Pierce aluminum cans before discarding them to prevent water from accumulating;
• Wash bird and animal drinking fountains at least once a week;

If a person identifies a vacant lot with accumulated trash and objects with standing water, they must notify a competent authority, such as the National Health Surveillance Agency – Anvisa on 0800 642 9782 or call the city hall.

2. Apply larvicides

In places with a lot of standing water, such as scrap yards, scrapyards or landfills, larvicides are applied, that is, chemicals that eliminate mosquito eggs and larvae. However, this application must always be carried out by trained professionals, and is recommended by the city health departments.

The type of application depends on the quantity of mosquito larvae found and, generally, they do not cause any harm to people’s health. These applications can be:

• Focal: consists of applying small amounts of larvicides directly to objects with standing water, such as plant pots and tires;
• Perifocal: it is similar to pest control and is based on placing larvicides with a device that releases droplets of chemical products, it must be done by trained people and with personal protective equipment;
• Ultrabaixo volume: also known as fumigation, which is when a car emits smoke that helps eliminate mosquito larvae, and is carried out in cases where there is an outbreak of dengue fever.

Furthermore, community health agents who work at health posts frequently visit homes in the neighborhood with the aim of detecting and destroying water reservoirs that are accumulating water, helping to reduce dengue transmission hotspots.

3. Avoid being bitten by mosquitoes

How dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes Temples of the Egyptians, It is possible to prevent the disease through measures that prevent mosquito bites, such as:

• Wear long pants and a long-sleeved blouse in times of epidemic;
• Apply repellent daily to exposed areas of the body, such as face, ears, neck and hands;
• Have protective screens on all windows and doors in the house;
• Light a citronella candle at home, as it is an insect repellent;
• Avoid going to places with a dengue epidemic.

Before applying any repellent, it is necessary to see if the product is approved by Anvisa and if it contains less than 20% of active ingredients such as DEET, icaridin and IR3535. However, some repellents can be made at home using plants. See homemade repellent options for children and adults.

4. Get the dengue vaccine

The Qdenga vaccine is available in Brazil, which protects the body against dengue, and is recommended for people aged 4 to 60 years, who have never had dengue or who have had the infection previously. This vaccine is available free of charge from the SUS.

Furthermore, there is another vaccine, Dengvaxia, found only in private clinics. See the main dengue vaccines and when to take them.