The court confirms Vicosa's conviction for failure to combat Aedes aegypti

City Hall reported that it had not been notified of the ruling, but highlighted that the first LIRAa of 2024, introduced a building infestation index (IIP) of 0.7%, classifying the municipality at low risk of outbreak.

The Court of Justice of Minas Gerais (TJMG), through the Nineteenth Civil Chamber, reiterated the judgment of first instance that found the municipality of Vicosa guilty of taking measures to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Furthermore, the award of R$80,000 in collective moral damages was maintained.

The general civil action was filed by the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (MPMG) in response to an administrative action investigating the situation of prevention and control of disease-carrying mosquitoes in the Vicosa region.

According to the Office of the First Public Prosecutor of Vicosa, the investigation revealed low coverage and effectiveness in the sectors responsible for the prevention and control of Aedes aegypti and the diseases it transmits.

The ruling, issued in August 2022, specified several obligations for the municipality, including regulating the work of endemic disease control agents. In addition, it decided to pay an amount of R$80,000 for collective moral damages and a fine of R$20,000 for non-compliance with the established obligations.

Following an appeal by the municipality of Vicosa, the Justice and Transitional Justice Group reaffirmed the conviction in May last year. However, in July of the same year, the trial was canceled due to the lack of personal notification from the municipal legal body.

In a new trial, held in December, the Joint Justice and Monitoring Group once again confirmed the guilt of the municipality of Vicosa for implementing measures to prevent and control Aedes aegypti. The condemnation of collective moral harm, due to failure to prevent dengue fever, has also been maintained.

This decision reinforces the importance of effective control of disease-transmitting mosquitoes, with the goal of protecting the health and well-being of the vixosa population.

What does Vicosa City Hall say?

We contacted the Communications Department of City Hall and were informed by Edson Rocha, Director of Communications, that the first LIRAa of 2024, held from January 8 to 12, presented an Building Infestation Index (IIP) of 0.7%, classifying the municipality as low risk. from the outbreak of disease. The Ministry of Health classification indicates a low risk of infection of up to 0.9%; Between 1 and 3.9% the condition is alert; When it is equal to or greater than 4%, it is considered an outbreak risk.

Edson Rocha also said that “in the municipality, according to a survey conducted by the Epidemiological Surveillance Sector of the Municipal Health Department, in the past four weeks, there have been 96 reports of dengue fever, three cases of chikungunya, and no reported case of Zika virus.” .

City Hall has already expressed its opinion regarding the lawsuit filed by MPMG

In August 2022, the current municipal administration expressed its opinion regarding this public civil lawsuit brought by MPMG. At the time, the city municipality said in a statement that “PMV stated that it had no official knowledge of the content of the ruling. However, it highlighted that it was working intensively to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito.”

Also according to the memorandum, epidemiological data for 2022 indicate that there are 47 confirmed cases of dengue fever in the city. “In the last four weeks, there have been no diagnoses.”

See the full 2022 article here.

source: Minas Gerai Court of Justice