Mercedes Marlene Martinez

By Eduardo A. Fernandez Cerna, Catalina Sherman and Mercedes Marlene Martinez

Dengue fever is a disease transmitted by the mosquito aegypti. There is a secondary vector: Aedes albopictus with some epidemiological importance in the transmission of dengue. Pharmacological treatment for dengue is a palliative treatment for the disease and there is an absence of a universally accepted vaccine for the different clinical infections. In these circumstances, the interruption of the infection cycle is possible basically through the reduction of the Aedes aegypti, reducing its breeding sites or physically reducing its population through chemical or biological means. Traditional approaches to vector control are becoming less effective as a result of the combination of resistance to insecticides and the logistic complexity of covering increasingly large urban centers with the same number of health workers as in past decades. Experiences in different countries reflect the need to involve more actively families and communities in the reduction of breeding sites. Several innovations have been introduced using biological methods, physical control of sources, and involvement of families and schools in vector control. The possibility to scale up successful experiences requires a joint effort of governments and communities to tackle mosquito source reduction and add a multipurpose concept of domestic hygiene.

Part of the book: Dengue Fever in a One Health Perspective