Control of Peridomestic
Mosquitoes in 1930’s Brazil
And Possible Applications for Chikungunya
Background
• At the beginning of the 20th century, the role of the mosquito
in the spreading of disease as evidenced by the research of
Finlay and Ross opened huge doors in public health.
• Immediately following the experiments made by Walter Reed
and his collaborators, steps work taken by Gorgas in Havana,
Cuba, Ribas in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Cruz in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil to eliminate the mosquito behind Yellow Fever.
• Systematically countries adopted forms of both Malaria and
Yellow Fever control thereafter with great success. In the
following decade Yellow Fever seemed to have disappeared
from most major cities and ports.
“The fact is that in 1908, when all the large
cities in the Americas had already used the
same measures, in the midst of great
satisfaction and a certain lack of forethought,
yellow fever ceased to be of concern to the
public health authorities of the Amercias and
almost all action against the vector of the
disease was abandoned.”
Panic Ensues!!!
• 1928 – An epidemic breaks out in the capital of Brazil, Rio
de Janeiro, as well as several cities in Colombia, Venezuela,
and Bolivia.
Organization
• “ While it may be possible to organize small health services on the basis of
word of mouth instructions, all details of established techniques must be
written down for ready reference if uniform work is to be done on a
national scale.”
Instructions for Inspectors
Obedience – The inspector of the
Yellow Fever Service shall at all times
respect his superior officers, show
courtesy to the general public, and
behave in a manner creditable to the
Service. All orders received from
superior officers are to be executed
without question. In case of doubt as
to the meaning of orders, explanation
may be requested; but once orders are
clearly stated they are to be carried out.
Appearance – When
reporting for duty, the
inspector shall be shaven,
correctly dressed, and neat in
appearance.
Tips – The inspector may not accept
money or any other reward for
services executed or, more
important, for services not executed,
even during the Christmas season or
other festive periods. Breach of this
rule is punishable by dismissal.
Negligence – Failure to carry out
orders is inexcusable, and a plea of
ignorance or forgetfulness is
unavailing. Orders are written down
by the inspector in the blank
notebook which is issued to all
members of the staff.
Zone Inspector Daily Work
• The Service schedule calls for 44 hours a week.
• The Zone Inspector meets with his District Inspector each morning at a
centrally located place early enough to obtain materials, pass
inspection, and reach his zone.
• Once at the zone, the inspector works each block according to specially
placed triangles designating direction taken at each block.
• A flag designating your rank and type are placed in an area as to be seen
from anywhere on the street to inform superiors of your exact position.
• Large complexes with multiple houses are to be flagged with a pennet
out front, then your flag in front of the house you are inspecting.
Zone Inspector
Pennant
Zone Inspector
District Inspector
Inspection Process
Entering the house – The zone inspector rings
the doorbell (claps his hands, or knocks on the
door), and announces, “health inspector’s visit.”
He greets the person who opens the door with
courtesy and asks permission to enter the house; …
Having finished his visit of inspection in one
house, he goes out to the street and begins his visit
to the next house in the way described above.
Inspection – Having received permission to inspect the house, the inspector
always begins his survey in the yard; and after this is completed, he examines the
bathroom, kitchen, pantry, living room, bedrooms, and other dependencies of the
house. The inspector is directly responsible for the conditions in his zone …
Consequently, he is answerable for whatever may be found in places where he may
have considered routine inspection to be unnecessary.
Inspection Process
Potential Mosquito Breeding Foci
- Water Containers
- Empty Containers
Legal Summons
- Unsealed Water Tanks
- Non-Mosquito Proofed Septic Tanks
- Owner Disagreement with Elimination or Oiling
Special Inspection Requests
- Recurring Foci
- Oiling Request
- Larviphagous Fish Request
- Mosquito Compliant
Roof Gutter Service
Zone Inspector
Producing Focus
Zone Inspector
Captures
Zone Inspector
Closed and Vacant Houses
Not Home? No escape, leave your keys, please.
Vacant House
Zone Inspector
Maritime Services
• Large Docks supporting off shore cargo ships
• Nearby islands with limited houses
Maritime & River
Services
Boat Pennant
Possible Chik-V Applications??
• Public Media efforts have to increase
• Proper funding, personnel, and authority
• Backyard Inspections
• Training of new or volunteer personnel
• Transportation issues
It’s been done before, with effort, it can be done again.
Resources
Severo, Octavio Pinto, “Eradication of the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito from
the Americas” (1955). Yellow fever, a symposium in commemoration of
Carlos Juan Finlay, 1955. Paper 6.
http://jdc.Jefferson.edu/yellow_fever_symposium/6
Soper, F.L., Wilson, D.B., and Antunes, W.S., “The Organization of
Permanent Nation-wide Anti-Aedes aegypti Measures in Brazil” (1943)
Questions???
The methods here described should not be considered final
but only as the stage of development reached in Brazil after
an exceptional opportunity for work over a long period of
time throughout an enormous area in which conditions varied
greatly from region to region, with adequate funds, personnel,
and authority, on the most fascinating problem of pitting
human intelligence and perspiration against the instinct
and persistence of the aegypti mosquito.
Zone Inspector
Roof Gutter Service
Zone Inspector
District Inspector
Cemetery Service
Zone Inspector
Captures
Zone Inspector
General Inspector
Producing Focus
Zone Inspector
Vacant House
Zone Inspector
Zone Inspector
Pennant
Ditches & Wasteland
Services
Maritime & River
Services
Boat Pennant