Philipsburg- Vector control efforts for mosquitoes, larvae and potential breeding sites will be intensified with a door-to-door/yard reduction campaign starting on Friday morning in the district of Pointe Blanche. The final logistics are currently being put into place.
Approximately 15 to 30 teams of two persons will canvass the island in the coming weeks and visit more than 15,000 households from Pointe Blanche to the Low Lands. The house-to-house/yard intensified inspections will be carried out from 8.00am to 12.00pm.
The Dengue Action Response Team (DART), a multidisciplinary planning team is looking for the full cooperation of residents when the inspection teams call at their address.
Fogging vector control will take place in the Guana Bay and Back Bay areas as of Thursday barring any unforeseen circumstances such as a change in weather conditions. Fogging had to be discontinued recently due to mechanical problems with the fogging machine.
The house-to-house/yard inspections are part of the public health response to dengue on the island and are part of an intensified community campaign to eradicate the mosquito that carries dengue fever.
Community mosquito surveillance and control is critical at this time in order to effectively deal with the dengue outbreak on the island. The inspections will allow for the location of hotspots of dengue mosquitoes.
Mosquito control workers become the firefighters of dengue. Dengue can rage through a community like a bushfire, and the Aedes Aegypti mosquito is the fuel for the fire. The more mosquitoes present, the faster dengue spreads.
Each inspection team will be led by a team leader and will be identifiable by a badge. Residents who are at home during the time of inspection will be provided with information about dengue fever and symptoms and how to identify the mosquito that carries the virus.
Information will also be provided about preventive action that must be taken and maintained to prevent mosquito breeding in and around your home.
The cooperation of every household is required in order for this intensified inspection to be a success.
Persons who are not at home when inspectors call, will receive a letter that they were there and what their findings were after the yard inspection, and what preventive actions need to be taken in and around the home as well as inside.
The Island Government has approved an emergency budget of over Naf.300,000 to cover a number of interventions related to the national outbreak. An intensification of intervention activities is currently underway.
Preventive actions that every household should take are: Debris, old tires and standing clear/clean water in yards are the main source and breeding ground for mosquitoes bringing about an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases. These areas should be immediately eliminated.
Immediately check for clear/clean standing water in roof spouts, empty drums, buckets, jars, birdbaths, boats, plant containers, saucers, paint cans and other items that can collect water around your homes and businesses. Where clear/clean standing water exists, one can use small amounts of kerosene, just to cover the surface as a measure to prevent mosquito breeding or just get rid of the container.
In the case of where containers are used for storing water, residents should keep these properly covered and check every three days to make sure that mosquito's haven't laid any eggs. Inlets and outlets of cisterns must be covered with a mosquito net or cloth to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in the water.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults, but seldom causes death, however two persons have died since the outbreak and therefore you are urgently advised to take immediate measures to protect your family.
Anyone requiring information concerning measures to prevent mosquito breeding or to report areas of standing water, overgrown vegetation etc should immediately call the Hygiene Department at 542-2079.
