The urgent need of community involvement in fighting back dengue fever

[摘要] Introduction: dengue and yellow fever, two Aedes aegypti-borne life-threatening tropical diseases, are currently showing an alarming (re)emergence. Objective: to discuss the urgent need of community involvement in counterchecking dengue fever, considering the Aedes aegypti occurrence in Camaguey province. Methods: a retrospective-descriptive study was conducted through the review of sampling records of three health care areas of Camagüey, during the October-December 2011 quarter. Larval and adult insect collection was performed following Cuba's National Vector Control Network guidelines by checking the inside and surrounding areas of urban houses in 22-day cycles, during which samples were kept in vials containing 70% alcohol and then labeled with their corresponding breeding site data. Results: out of the 31 types of containers that tested positive for the vector, the minority amounting to 38.70 %, was made up of permanent, usable and unmodifiable containers. However, among them were included 74.37 % of containers that had tested positive, which indicates that local families must give them top priority in terms of their adequate surveillance and management. Conclusions: considering the relevant role of permanent, usable and nonmodifiable containers in the human-induced risk of Aedes aegypti breeding in three health care areas of Camagüey province, there is a pressing need for community involvement in the surveillance and control of such containers so as to have a real impact on the dengue prevention process.

[学科分类] 传染病学

[关键词] Aedes aegypti;dengue;community involvement;vector control