Vector Control Chemicals are Safe

The Ministry of Health is advising that all chemicals used in its vector control programmes are effective and have no significant adverse impact on humans.

This assurance was given by Medical Entomologist in the Ministry, Sherine Huntley Jones, who sought to allay fears about the effectiveness of the chemicals being used for mosquito fogging, at  yesterday’s (January 20) Jamaica House press briefing, held  at the Office of the Prime Minister, in Kingston.

“We have detected resistance to one of our chemicals and the Ministry has replaced that chemical… so, all the chemicals used currently in the programme are effective in dealing with the Aedes aegypti mosquito,” she said.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is found in and around areas where people live, work and play, transmit the Zika Virus (ZikV).

Mrs. Huntley Jones encouraged persons to heed the Ministry’s request and open their windows and doors whenever fogging activities are being undertaken in their communities.

She said this is particularly important, as the Aedes aegypti mosquito “rests on the inside.”

“Because this mosquito is on the inside… and the fog is not getting (in), then we are not going to be able to get to the population. The chemicals are effective, but the process of fogging may be affected, because persons not necessarily opening their windows and doors all the time,” she noted.

Ms. Huntley Jones said the Ministry uses the chemicals as per the manufacturers recommendation. “So, the chemicals are safe,” she added.

She informed that before the fogging team goes into a community,  announcements are made asking  persons, who have respiratory illnesses, to take certain actions.

These actions include covering their nose with a wet rag or not to be present in the area that is going to be fogged.

ZikV is from the same family of viruses as dengue and Chikungunya, and shares similar symptoms, which include fever, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, headache, weakness, rash and swelling of the lower limbs.

The illness is usually mild, with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe illness requiring hospitalisation is uncommon.