Aedes aegypti not found in Rio Grande do Sul dump
The larvae were collected and sent out for testing.
Tests with the larvae collected in an illegal tire dump in Ernestina, in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, came out negative for Aedes aegypti. Of the 300 samples gathered, however, four were positive for Aedes albopictus, which transmits chikungunya fever. The collection was carried out during a country-wide eradication campaign on Saturday (Feb. 13).
Even though the tests failed to detect the transmitter of the Zika virus and dengue fever, city authorities fear that the stagnant water sitting in over 30 thousand tires, dumped cars and waste scattered outdoors may attract the insect to the area. “I was appalled when I arrived at the dump. The risk of an epidemic is huge,” said Ernestina Mayor Odir Boehm.
Odir Boehm (in blue), during a meeting with the Military Brigade and the Public Proseuction Office in o Fundo
In the morning today (15), Boehm took part in a meeting with representatives from the Military Brigade and the Public Prosecution Office of o Fundo in an attempt to forge a partnership with Reciclanip, a firm in São Paulo interested in the material dumped in the site. In case an official permit is issued in the next few hours, the removal may start in less than 72 hours.
According to the mayor, the lot owner is allowed to run a junkyard, but has failed to pay taxes since 2008. In 2009, the Prosecution Office filed a civil suit aimed at having him solve the problem. Odir Boehm declared he was not made aware of the problem until January this year, through a local radio broadcast. “I took the opportunity provided by the national campaign against the Aedes aegypti to call on all authorities to find an answer to this problem as quickly as possible.”
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Aedes aegypti not found in Rio Grande do Sul dump
