The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government agency under the Ministry of Public Health, is calling on the community to implement dengue preventive measures due to recent early morning rainfall.
Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever, ‘Get Checked" campaign, is in line with CPS’s appeal for residents and business owners, to check in and around their homes and businesses in order to reduce breeding of the Ades Aegypti mosquito, which has the potential to transmit dengue and chikungunya fever.
Last year March dengue and severe dengue were a public health concern in the Region of the Americas. Despite Member States’ efforts to contain and mitigate the dengue epidemics, in the past two years at that time, some of the countries in the Region have surpassed their historic record of cases and deaths.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults. Chikungunya (CHIK) fever is an emerging, mosquito-borne disease caused by an alphavirus, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).
Although indigenous transmission of CHIKV does not occur in the Americas now, the risk for its introduction into local vector mosquito populations is likely higher than had previously been thought, especially in tropical and subtropical areas where Ae. Aegypti, of the main vectors of CHIKV, has a broad distribution.
Clear stagnant water in old tires and other types of debris in yards can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes bringing about an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
CPS is therefore advising residents to take immediate measures after rain events to make sure there is no clear/clean stagnant water in their yards; disposing of responsibly old tires, empty drums, plant containers, paint cans and other items that can collect water around their homes and businesses.
An increase in the mosquito population puts residents at risk. In the case of where containers are used for storing water, residents should keep these covered. Inlets and outlets of cisterns must be covered with a mosquito net or cloth to prevent mosquito breeding.