Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Dengue fever mosquito spreading in Madeira
18/10/2008
The ?Aedes Aegypti? mosquito, a potential carrier of the Dengue (Yellow Fever) virus, is spreading beyond Madeira?s capital, Funchal, within which it had previously been contained because bureaucratic hold-ups are delaying disinfestations.
In 2005, Madeiran officials had managed to confine the mosquito to the areas of Santa Luzia, Santa Maria Maior, S?, S?o Pedro and Imaculado Cora??o de Maria, all within Funchal.
It has recently been detected and confirmed in areas beyond the borders of Funchal, in western C?mara de Lobos.
This was confirmed by Maur?cio Melim, head of Madeira?s Health Administration and Social Affairs Institute (IP-RAM), who said ?Beyond Funchal there are, effectively, signs that the mosquito has reached the region of C?mara de Lobos from where samples were taken and seem to confirm the situation?.
?Therefore, naturally, it will have reached and affected the region of S?o Martinho [West of Funchal]?.
Maur?cio Melim is believed to have expected a spreading of the ?Aedes Aegypti? mosquito this Autumn, when ?atmospheric conditions identical to those registered three years ago, with rain, high humidity and high temperatures, are expected?, and which are favourable to its proliferation.
?So far, none of the insects analyzed have been carriers of any infectious viruses?, he said, guaranteeing, ?None of the people who have been bitten by the mosquito showed signs of carrying an infectious disease?.
Concerning measures being implemented to ?tame? the insect?s presence, he said ?any form of combating the mosquito will never be 100 per cent effective, as only drops in temperature will solve the problem?.
Last year and during the first semester of this year birds? nests, larvae and other chemical disinfestations were carried out to help control the spreading of the mosquito.
However, any further procedures are awaiting the go-ahead from Madeira?s courts who insist a public tender must be launched to hire companies to carry out the action.
Pest control company Exterm?nio has been appointed as next in line to carry out further disinfestations, but the Tribunal de Contas has said the contract, due to being put to public tender, is taking ?longer than expected?.
Meanwhile, the local population has been advised to avoid certain behaviour that could increase the presence of the Aedes Aegypti, such as leaving garbage in public places or encouraging the accumulation of stagnant waters, like water-filled vases, unused tanks and swimming pools.
Information is also being distributed to those who may be travelling to countries where yellow fever is active, like South America and Africa, encouraging vaccinations.
Meanwhile, on mainland Portugal, officials have guaranteed that no mosquitoes that could transmit these diseases have been detected, though they could appear due to climate change.
Head of the Health Board, Francisco George, explained that over the past few months tens of thousands of mosquitoes have been analysed and no trace of the virus has been found.
?On mainland Portugal no mosquito carrying dengue has ever been found, but we cannot exclude the possibility of it arising because of climate change?, he said.
A monitoring network has been established.
Francisco George explained how around 15 cases of Dengue are diagnosed in Portugal every year, all being from people who have travelled to tropical destinations and manifest symptoms on their return.
Every year, tens of thousands of people are contaminated with the Dengue virus, mainly in tropical countries, but cases of death are said to be very rare.
Portuguese authorities have advised those looking to travel to Brazil to book a ?travellers consultation? with their doctor to be vaccinated against the disease, at least two months in advance so the treatment can be working before departure.
In 2007 around 560,000 cases of Dengue were detected, with 158 people dying from the disease.
At the beginning of this year authorities in Rio de Janeiro confirmed a Dengue epidemic, with around 290 new cases being confirmed every day. As a result, in March a crisis department was created to deal with the consequences of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which entailed the help of Brazil?s armed forces.
http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=981-9
18/10/2008
The ?Aedes Aegypti? mosquito, a potential carrier of the Dengue (Yellow Fever) virus, is spreading beyond Madeira?s capital, Funchal, within which it had previously been contained because bureaucratic hold-ups are delaying disinfestations.
In 2005, Madeiran officials had managed to confine the mosquito to the areas of Santa Luzia, Santa Maria Maior, S?, S?o Pedro and Imaculado Cora??o de Maria, all within Funchal.
It has recently been detected and confirmed in areas beyond the borders of Funchal, in western C?mara de Lobos.
This was confirmed by Maur?cio Melim, head of Madeira?s Health Administration and Social Affairs Institute (IP-RAM), who said ?Beyond Funchal there are, effectively, signs that the mosquito has reached the region of C?mara de Lobos from where samples were taken and seem to confirm the situation?.
?Therefore, naturally, it will have reached and affected the region of S?o Martinho [West of Funchal]?.
Maur?cio Melim is believed to have expected a spreading of the ?Aedes Aegypti? mosquito this Autumn, when ?atmospheric conditions identical to those registered three years ago, with rain, high humidity and high temperatures, are expected?, and which are favourable to its proliferation.
?So far, none of the insects analyzed have been carriers of any infectious viruses?, he said, guaranteeing, ?None of the people who have been bitten by the mosquito showed signs of carrying an infectious disease?.
Concerning measures being implemented to ?tame? the insect?s presence, he said ?any form of combating the mosquito will never be 100 per cent effective, as only drops in temperature will solve the problem?.
Last year and during the first semester of this year birds? nests, larvae and other chemical disinfestations were carried out to help control the spreading of the mosquito.
However, any further procedures are awaiting the go-ahead from Madeira?s courts who insist a public tender must be launched to hire companies to carry out the action.
Pest control company Exterm?nio has been appointed as next in line to carry out further disinfestations, but the Tribunal de Contas has said the contract, due to being put to public tender, is taking ?longer than expected?.
Meanwhile, the local population has been advised to avoid certain behaviour that could increase the presence of the Aedes Aegypti, such as leaving garbage in public places or encouraging the accumulation of stagnant waters, like water-filled vases, unused tanks and swimming pools.
Information is also being distributed to those who may be travelling to countries where yellow fever is active, like South America and Africa, encouraging vaccinations.
Meanwhile, on mainland Portugal, officials have guaranteed that no mosquitoes that could transmit these diseases have been detected, though they could appear due to climate change.
Head of the Health Board, Francisco George, explained that over the past few months tens of thousands of mosquitoes have been analysed and no trace of the virus has been found.
?On mainland Portugal no mosquito carrying dengue has ever been found, but we cannot exclude the possibility of it arising because of climate change?, he said.
A monitoring network has been established.
Francisco George explained how around 15 cases of Dengue are diagnosed in Portugal every year, all being from people who have travelled to tropical destinations and manifest symptoms on their return.
Every year, tens of thousands of people are contaminated with the Dengue virus, mainly in tropical countries, but cases of death are said to be very rare.
Portuguese authorities have advised those looking to travel to Brazil to book a ?travellers consultation? with their doctor to be vaccinated against the disease, at least two months in advance so the treatment can be working before departure.
In 2007 around 560,000 cases of Dengue were detected, with 158 people dying from the disease.
At the beginning of this year authorities in Rio de Janeiro confirmed a Dengue epidemic, with around 290 new cases being confirmed every day. As a result, in March a crisis department was created to deal with the consequences of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which entailed the help of Brazil?s armed forces.
http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=981-9