If your city or neighborhood is one of the regions with the highest rate of cases of dengue , it is likely that you have already seen or heard the sound of a car passing on the street and releasing “smoke”. This is the famous “smoke car “, used to combat dengue.
O smoke is an insecticide dissipated in the air to kill the Aedes aegypti, an adult dengue-transmitting mosquito. That is, it is a additional measure in the fight against the disease . According to the Ministry of Health, by the beginning of April this year, 183.9 thousand liters of the substance had been distributed to the states for application in cities.
The Secretary of Health and Environmental Surveillance, Ethel Maciel, explains that tobacco is not the ideal means of combating Aedesbut yes, it is a complementary way to prevent mosquito bites .
“When we use fumigation, it means that the prevention strategy was not enough because we are fighting adult mosquitoes. We must focus on the use of larvicides to prevent mosquitoes from being born. It is important that the municipality does this with the support of agents to combat endemic diseases by entering people's homes, carrying out focused action”, he advises, in a statement released by the Ministry of Health.
According to the Ministry of Health's Arbovirus Panel, updated on Monday (29), Brazil has already reached 4 million cases of dengue in 2024. To date, 1,888 deaths from the disease have been recorded. Another 2,345 deaths are being investigated.
What is fumace and how does it work to combat mosquitoes?
According to the Ministry of Health, the fumigation is an insecticide which combines two molecules: pralethrin and imidacloprid . It works as a cold ultra-low volume (UBV) spatial application, and therefore, there is no smoke cloud formation as there is no burning of mineral oil at the time of application.
The fumigation can be applied using motorized backpack equipment (portable) or through vehicular equipment, such as a car. The product causes excitement in the nervous system of mosquitoes which, when they come into contact with the insecticide, die.
Is fumigation safe for humans?
Also according to the Ministry of Health, all insecticides acquired by the department — including fumarcê — are recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization) and approved by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) and, therefore, are considered safe for humans .
Furthermore, they are based on technical and operational standards from a group of pesticide specialists who recommend active ingredients and recommend doses for various types of treatments.
The product only has a spatial effect on mosquitoes that those displaced from their shelters are flying and are hit by the drops. The insecticide is present in the environment for approximately 30 minutes, depending on the weather conditions at the time of application.
Is fumigation effective?
Yes, the smoke is effective but, according to the Ministry of Health, its application must be a strategy used only in exceptional situations , such as dengue outbreaks or epidemics. “This action is part of the set of emergency activities adopted in these situations and its use must be concomitant with all other control actions or when preventive control is not sufficient”, states a statement published by the ministry.
An important tip for greater insecticide effectiveness is keep the doors and windows of the residence open when smoke is passing on the street to facilitate the entry of droplets into the home.
“To be more successful with this action, the insecticide droplets generated by the equipment must penetrate the interior of backyards and houses, in places where mosquitoes are found”, states the ministry.
Source: CNN Brasil
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