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Combating dengue must be a priority for the new government, defends virologist

The virologist from the Federal University of Bahia Gúbio Soares warned that the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva must have the fight against the mosquito aedes aegypti as a priority.

“We have to resume the fight against dengue, which grew a lot in the Southeast, something that did not happen, there is a climate change and the mosquitoes took advantage”, he said, to CNN Radio.

The scientist stated that the “government has to make an effort, together with municipal health departments, to hire health agents, carry out campaigns and advertising in the media, guiding the population.”

Gúbio, who was the first to identify the zika virus in Brazil, pointed out that the same mosquito transmits dengue, zika virus and chikungunya.

“During the pandemic, all the forces of the health agents focused on it, and there was a great proliferation of mosquitoes”, he explained.

He recalls that chikungunya, for example, has the aggravating factor that the individual has consequences “for months”, with pain in the joints.

“The country has an increase not only in diseases, but in mosquitoes, people have to worry about that again, but it depends on the government, if there are no guidelines, the population forgets.”

The virologist pointed out that poverty, reflected in problems with water distribution and basic sanitation, intensifies the proliferation of mosquitoes.

The awareness campaigns, according to him, should guide the population not to keep the water still – in places like vases, containers and even water tanks – without coverage.

*Produced by Joyce Murasaki

Source: CNN Brasil

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