The Department of Health Care/VSA/ Ministry of Health Care, Labor, and Social Affairs has engaged in measures to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito that can spread dengue fever.
Besides the fogging that is planned for the next two weeks, the department sent out personnel to canvass the neighborhoods, advising persons on preventive measures on how to get rid of the source of mosquito breeding.
A team of eight (8) persons went into the different neighborhoods and advise people on what to do around their homes to eliminate mosquito breeding places in decreasing the mosquito population.
Mr. Gerald Peters, the epidemiologist, said that the best way to deal with the source of the breeding, is to get rid of clean stagnant water. So first, people have to get rid of all stagnant water locations, from old tires lying around to plant pots that have stagnant water in them to well-sealed cisterns, among other actions that can be taken.
The areas that were visited are Belvedere, Cole Bay, Middle Region, Sucker Garden, Cay Hill, Cay Bay, Guana bay, Dutch Quarters, Hope estate, Middle region, Fort Willem, Defiance, Over the bank, Sucker Gardens, Naked Boy, The Quays, South Reward, St. Peters, St. Johns, Cul de Sac and Ebenezer. These areas were the biggest concentration, where persons have been infected with the virus/disease Dengue according to the available data.
In executing this task, there were some challenges, which ranged from the normal circumstances like people not being home to mechanical issues and at times, some people simply did not open the doors to speak, they thought that the workers from the Public Health were immigration officers, and even when they knew that the workers were from Public Health they still didn’t open their doors.
This effort to rid the districts of mosquitoes is one intervention or strategy in the fight against minimizing the Aedes aegypti mosquito which is the carrier of Dengue Fever and Dengue Hemorragic Fever.
The project started on March 15, 2010 and ended on May 15, 2010.
The aim, over the two-month period was to reach about 10,000 homes with the information/consulting campaign that will inform each householder.
The results of the project were:
1. A total of 9,360 premises were inspected.
2. One thousand three hundred and eleven (1311) containers inspected.
3. The officers eliminated 850 containers that were liable to breed mosquitoes.
4. A total of 743 breeding sites found.
The House Index from the exercise was eight percent (8%). This means that for every 100 premises inspected, eight (8) were breeding the Aedes Egypti mosquito. The Internationally accepted House Index is below five percent (5%).
The fogging campaign, another intervention/strategy in the battle of minimizing the mosquito population started May 16, 2010, the aim is to fog the entire Dutch side of the island.
The time for fogging will be done mostly at 4:30 to 6:30am, and the 5:00pm to 7:00pm in areas and on days when traffic will not pose a challenge. In the evening time (5:00 to 7:00) is when the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are in flight and you would get a greater knock down.
The mosquito usually bites at dusk and dawn but may bite at any time during the day. Householders are kindly asked to open their windows when the spraying is in operation.
Fogging eliminates the adult mosquitoes the wrigglers in the breeding source are not eliminated with fogging but with decrease mosquito breeding source/places.
The Collective Preventive Department is monitoring the spraying operation.