Rio, March 17, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Rio de Janeiro gains a new ally in the fight against the aedes aegypti mosquito, the carrier of dengue fever. It is a biological larvae killer named Bactivec, produced in Cuba, and, beginning in April, it will be distributed to the population of the metropolitan area.

The remedy, which comes in drops, is ideal for use in drinking water: It is non-toxic, odorless, and colorless, and it can be easily applied in water storage containers or tanks. The first of three shipments of Bactivec will be delivered to the Secretariat of Health by the end of this month.

This action marks the resumption of the technical and commercial cooperation agreement between the government of the state of Rio and the Cuban government in the area of health. The governor of Rio, Rosinha Matheus, and the Cuban Ambassador to Brazil, Pedro Nuñez Mosquera, sign a protocol today in the Guanabara Palace, to confirm the agreement.

The biological larvae killer is produced by the Cuban laboratory, Labiofarm, and was adquired by the state government for around R$ 9 million. The quantity is sufficient to be utilized for six months in over a million residences. (DAS)