The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological issues of dengue in the counties of the 4th Coordenadoria Regional de Saúde (government agency to surveillance on public health) of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, during 2007 to 2010. This is a descriptive study, using as variables: cities where dengue was reported; year; sex and age of the patient; infestation (IIP) and Breteau (BI) index. A total of 13 imported cases of the dengue was reported in five cities and higher occurrence was in Santa Maria city. There were notifications of dengue in both sex and in different age groups. Positive foci of Aedes aegypti were found in the traps at strategic points in both cities, Santa Maria and Santiago. BII and BI varied during the studied period in both cities, and, so far, they did not constitute a risk to public health. We conclude that the health surveillance should be enhanced with the purpose of guiding vector control practices, as well as promote health and environmental education in order to prevent the installation of autochthonous dengue cases in the cities studied.
Ae. aegypti; health surveillance; public health; control