The Belo Horizonte City Council is using drones to help control and prevent the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Overflights are carried out strategically in priority areas and are selected based on indicators such as the number of disease cases and the amount of larvae and mosquito eggs. This Thursday (14), the City Hall is carrying out an operation using a drone in the Venda Nova area. The event starts at 9am and the meeting point will be at the Piratininga Health Center (Rua Cravo da India, 11 – Piratininga).

The goal of using drones is to map sites, diagnose outbreaks, implement treatment, where necessary, and intervene in a timely manner to reduce potential breeding sites for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes on properties. In 2023, the municipal health department has already carried out 104 sorties, and more than 15,000 properties have been inspected. The identification of irregular cases is subject to technical analysis, where the type of breeding site is classified for immediate action by Endemic Disease Control Agents (ACE).

“After this analysis, the agents go to the property with the aim of resolving the detected problem, for example, an uncovered water tank. This inspection is very important, as the teams also provide the owners with guidelines for eliminating sites,” explains the Undersecretary of Health Promotion and Surveillance, Fabiano dos Anjos. Potential for mosquito breeding.

If the problems detected on site are not resolved, there is still the possibility of treatment, with the drone itself, in hard-to-reach places. “If it is not possible to reach the location specified by mapping, the drones have technology to calculate the volume of accumulated water and release the larvicide directly at the site. The substance used does not cause any harm to the environment or residents,” the Undersecretary added.