Ciência cidadã e Aedes Aegypti: contribuições para o ensino de biologia por investigação

Abstract

Diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, such as dengue, continue to represent a major public health concern. In Brazil, as of July 4, 2024, 6,215,201 probable cases of dengue had been reported, with 4,269 confirmed deaths (Ministry of Health, 2024). Between December 29, 2024, and April 7, 2025, 896,680 probable cases of the disease were reported, with an incidence rate of 441.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (Ministry of Health, 2025). In the Eastern Macroregion of Minas Gerais, according to the Epidemiological Bulletin of the City Hall of Governador Valadares, 376,119 cases of dengue were confirmed by April 2024, with 7,115 cases in Governador Valadares alone. This study aimed to analyze a Citizen Science experience focused on identifying risk areas for the proliferation of Aedes aegypti, involving high school students. A total of 28 second-year students from a public school in Governador Valadares participated in the didactic sequence. The experience mapped risk areas for the reproduction of Aedes aegypti and contributed to the learning of ecological concepts, as well as the development of skills such as teamwork and critical thinking. Through investigative teaching and Citizen Science, the students identified risk areas in the neighborhood near the school and acquired knowledge about the mosquito vector and dengue, enhancing their ability to become agents of change within their communities.