Dengue is a serious public health problem in Brazil. The National Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Dengue Epidemics recommend the presence of health education action in schools and inclusion of the topic in the curriculum of the disciplines. In formal education, the text book is characterized as one of the main tools for teaching and dissemination of scientific knowledge. Thus, we analyzed the theme of dengue in the text books of science and biology indicated by the Didactic Book National Program (PNLD/2008 and 2011) and the Didactic Book National Program for High School (PNLEM/2009), respectively. The theme was present in the forty text books of the 106 indicated by the PNLD (2008 and 2011) and PNLEM (2009). There were conceptual errors, the use of inappropriate illustrations and sociocultural decontextualization of the content. These factors limit the use of this collaborative resource for action to be carried out in the schools with the aim to control dengue.
Dengue; Health education; Textbook; Science education; Biology teaching
