Hanover Health Department declares major mosquito eradication drive

WESTERN BUREAU:

With a major uptick in the parish’s mosquito population since the recent passage of Hurricane Beryl, the Hanover Health Department (HHD) has embarked on a multifaceted drive to address the problem which has been bringing misery to many residents.

“In light of the increase in the mosquito population within the parish, we at the HHD would like to encourage Hanoverians to take preventative measures as the problem being posed is a community issue, and not just for the HHD,” said Fitz Francis, the acting chief public health inspector, in an interview with The Gleaner earlier this week.

Francis also outlined several preventative measures that can be taken to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes, while also advising residents to be careful about the unsupervised taking of medications to combat mosquito borne diseases.

“Do not take unnecessary medications if you have symptoms of dengue or any other mosquito borne diseases, take treatment only after medical consultation,” warned Francis.

In speaking to the measures currently being taken to address the problem, Francis said a regular fogging programme is being carried out by the HHD, which is being supplemented by other educational initiatives.

“We have heightened our adulticidal programme, that is our fogging programme, while also engaging a private pest control operator to assist with the fogging. We have started to do fogging twice per day, that is mornings and evenings, seven days a week,” he stated.

“We have increased our educational campaign with the assistance of a town crier to spread the information throughout the communities in all the affected areas,” added Francis.

When quizzed about which communities are being mostly affected by the increased mosquito infestation, Francis named several districts, which he claims has the characteristics to boost the breeding of mosquitoes.

“Chester Castle, Cacoon Castle, Woodsville, Maryland, Askenish, Pell River and Spring Mountain are areas which are being given special focus by the HHD,” Francis said.

The health inspector also advised that the HHD has hired a team of task workers to make house-to-house visits on a weekly basis in the most affected communities to ensure that the vector population is kept at a tolerable level. He urged householders to cooperate with the task worker.

“The task workers will be going to the communities and visit the homes for mosquito breeding sites, and make the appropriate treatment where applicable,” said Francis.

“The health department is working assiduously to solve the problem. We have heard the cry and we have also noticed the significant increase in the mosquito population, so we are taking all the necessary steps to eradicate the problem as soon as possible.”

According to Francis, the task workers will be properly identified and branded with Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOH) shirts or MOH branded neon vests, along with identification cards. He also stated that the HHD is awaiting some financial input from the Hanover Municipal Corporation to embark on a rodent eradication programme in Lucea.