Candida can be an ally in the fight against dengue; understand

Brazil has already exceeded 2 million probable cases of dengue since the beginning of this year, according to data from the Ministry of Health. Several capitals, such as São Paulo and the Federal District, and states, such as Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, have already declared a state of emergency.

In addition to mosquito awareness campaigns Aedes aegypti, the dengue vector, and the vaccine, other solutions are being tested to stop the proliferation of the insect. One of them is the use of chlorine (candida, as it is popularly known) to combat mosquito larvae.

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Chlorine vs. dengue mosquito

The research was commissioned by the Brazilian Association of the Alkali, Chlorine and Derivatives Industry (Abiclor) and conducted by professor Valter Arthur, from the Radiobiology and Environment Laboratory of the Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (Cena-USP).

To the USP Newspaperhe explained that previous studies on the effectiveness of chlorine in combating dengue mosquitoes had already been conducted, between 2008 and 2012. However, it is possible that the larvae have created resistance against the product and the update is necessary to test the new effectiveness and concentration of the product for the amount of standing water.

Arthur and his team tested the “candida” again in four replications with ten larvae. The conclusion is that it is necessary to apply a concentration of 10 milligrams of chlorine (the equivalent of a dessert spoon) per liter of still water to prevent the proliferation of mosquito larvae.

Care

• The advantage of this solution against dengue is that it is easy and cheap, but Arthur remembers that it must be repeated every five days, because the active ingredient in chlorine loses its strength over time;
• The use of candida also brings some problems. As it is a chemical product, it can pollute the environment, so it is important to pay attention to where the chlorine will be applied and where the stagnant water will go after it is discarded;
• Another issue is that, despite being effective, the solution does not kill 100% of insects and those that survive create resistance against the product;
• Therefore, it is important to increase the concentration over time or change the product to vary the formula.