Aedes Aegypti Index in Westmoreland Falls to Five Per Cent

The Aedes Index for the parish of Westmoreland fell to a low of five per cent at the end of December 2022.

The Index refers to the percentage of premises or homes in a limited, well-defined space where actual breeding of the Aedes aegypti mosquito is found and the total number of houses examined in that area.

The mosquito is responsible for transmitting Dengue Fever, and the Zika and chikungunya viruses.

Addressing the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting in Savanna-la-Mar on January 12, Chief Public Health Inspector for the parish, Steve Morris, lauded vector control workers for contributing to the lowering of the Index.

He said while this outcome is welcome, dengue fever remains an issue in Westmoreland and urged citizens to be diligent in safeguarding themselves against infection.

Symptoms of dengue include a sudden onset of high fever with severe headache; fatigue; pain behind the eyes; muscle, bone or joint pain; skin rash; swollen glands and vomiting or nausea.

“We are still getting [dengue] notifications. So, we also need to remember to do our once per week search and destroy activities in and around our homes,” Mr. Morris said.

For her part, Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr. Marcia Graham, also encouraged citizens to do their part in preventing mosquito breeding.

“As it relates to keeping our Aedes Index low, we need all of you to do your… [search and destroy activities] every week, so we can keep vector-borne illnesses away from our people,” she said.