• Category

  • Content Type

Advertisement

All Parishes Now Covered By Mosquito Control Measures

October 21, 2004

The Full Story

The Ministry of Health has reported that vector control interventions, which were intensified in light of Hurricane Ivan, which devastated the island on September 10, have now been carried out in all parishes.
Covering several communities in their respective parishes, vector control teams were able to expedite both fogging and larvacidal activities, with assistance from the Ministry, which distributed much needed equipment and materials to facilitate a quick response to reduce the mosquito population.
“The equipment was distributed a week after the hurricane. This was after a supplies and needs assessment had been conducted and determined what was needed to respond to the disaster,” Sherrine Huntley, Medical Entomologist in the Ministry of Health told JIS News.
Miss Huntley explained that the Ministry also hired additional staff and vehicles to assist in carrying out the various intervention activities. This, she said, contributed greatly to the effectiveness of the interventions.
As a result of the quick response to the mosquitoes, complaints in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan have significantly reduced. This has meant that most of the vector control teams have returned to their routine activities.
However, Miss Huntley pointed out that there would always be a mosquito problem, even outside of disaster period, so complaints would always be received.
She also reminded that although a sense of normalcy had returned, the “dengue fever period was now upon us”. It is during this time that there is an increase in the breeding activities of aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the virus.
Even though there was at present no dengue fever outbreak, Miss Huntley is urging persons to remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions to prevent mosquito breeding. This includes securing the covers of containers used to store water, and pouring enough cooking oil to cover the surface of water stored in unsecured containers.

Last Updated: October 21, 2004

Skip to content