Health Ministry steps up fogging to rid communities of mosquitoes

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has intensified fogging activities to rid communities of the mosquito nuisance since the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

Medical Entomologist and National Programme Manager for Vector Control in the Ministry, Sherine Huntley Jones, told JIS News that fogging is being done every day, morning and evening, in communities across the island.

She is imploring householders to cooperate by opening their doors and windows to allow the spray to enter.

“For fogging to be effective, persons have to open their windows and doors. There are some types of mosquitoes that are resting inside, feeding inside, and the only way the fog is going to get to the mosquitoes is for it to be able to drift inside. So, when our teams come, for a minute or two, open your windows and doors,” she urged.

She advised that where residents have difficulty with the fogging, this should be communicated to the vector control team.

An additional 400 temporary workers have been engaged, increasing the number to 1,000, and they are being deployed across the island to strengthen eradication activities.

Huntley Jones told JIS News that all communities are seeing an increase in the mosquito population due to the heavy rainfall associated with the hurricane.

She said that the major focus is on ridding areas of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which carries the dengue virus, with special attention on high-risk communities.

“We don't want an upsurge in our dengue cases. The numbers have come down very nicely, almost below our threshold levels, and we want persons to partner with us, and take personal responsibility,” she said.

Huntley Jones said that while the vector teams are carrying out elimination activities, residents must play their part by doing their own search and destroy; spraying the home in the mornings before leaving; and using mosquito repellant.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in any containerised environment, that is in anything that can hold water.

Some of the common breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito are drums, tyres, buckets, and animal feeding containers.

Members of the public are encouraged to search their surroundings at home and work at least once per week to ensure there is no breeding of the mosquito, and to cover water containers.

- JIS News

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