In the Colombian city of Cali, in the southwest of the country, there is a particular ‘army’ of guppy fish that has been key to fighting the constant battle against dengue, the viral disease that is transmitted through the Aedes aegypti mosquito and that already has claimed thousands of human lives in Latin America.
This battalion of guppy fish, a small animal that can measure up to 5 centimeters but that has the power to control the mosquito larvae that hatch in bodies of stagnant water, are ‘seeded’ in tanks, tubs, abandoned pools, ornamental fountains and rainwater drains.
“The work with guppies has been very successful because it is unique in the region. These little animals eat the larvae of the dengue mosquito and prevent us from having increases in cases,” the Secretary of Health of Cali, Germán Escobar Morales, told EFE. .
In addition, these fish are also environmentally friendly, since the use of chemicals is not required and they can be ‘seeded’ in bodies of stagnant water where transmitting mosquitoes reproduce.
“To date we have carried out nearly 400 control actions with these animals in various planting processes, and we constantly monitor the ponds where we have already planted to analyze whether there are still live fish,” said Escobar Morales.
According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Latin America is experiencing one of the most serious dengue epidemics in recent times; to date, more than 6.1 million suspected cases of the disease have been registered, which represents an increase of 254% compared to the same period in 2023, in addition to 458% compared to the average of the last 5 years.
Countries like Peru, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia are some of those that have the most cases because they are endemic.
Cali against dengue
In Cali, the battle is fought with all of the law, and for this task the Ministry of Health of Cali has a zoo-breeding farm for these fish with eight tanks, where there is a massive production of guppies to serve the 22 communes and 15 townships of the city.
According to the entity, to date 14,389 cases of dengue have been registered in Cali, of which 5,058 had warning signs and 121 were serious cases. 52% of infected people were women, 48% were men and 6.9% were children under 5 years of age.
However, thanks to the strategies implemented, the city has a fatality rate below 1%. That is, only one person has died from dengue in the city.
“We cannot let our guard down. From the Ministry of Health we also work on massive fumigations with heavy machinery, inspection of sinks, reconnaissance tours and media campaigns to educate citizens. This is a battle that we will win together,” the official insisted to EFE.
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