Residents are urged to remain vigilant to the threat of dengue fever, even as they continue to fight Covid-19.
With the Atlantic hurricane season now fully underway, the intermittent rainfall has increased chances of the spread of the dengue-causing, aedes aegypti mosquito, say officials in the vector control unit at the Central Board of Health (CBH).
“Although there is Covid, we have never lost nor put down the fight against mosquitoes … we’ve always had that as our focus. We have teams that go out on a daily basis,” says Senior Public Health Inspector, Julienne Mannix.
She says teams from CBH go out daily and carry out inspections on both private and public properties. If mosquito breeding grounds are found they are then eliminated. While the CBH is doing its part, Mannix explains, the responsibility also rests with residents.
“What householders will have to do is stay focused and be mindful and not place all their focus on Covid-19 but remember that there is dengue fever,” she continues.
“We don’t want them to be more focused on one more than the other because their symptoms can overlap. Source reduction is always cheaper than any other method. So instead of making sure a bottle of Bop or Baygon is on your shopping list every week, it’s just as simple as going around your yard and making sure you don’t have anything that will breed them,” Mannix said.
She said homeowners should make it a habit to check their properties and to ensure that no breeding exists.
Mannix also disclosed that the unit is planning to go into schools across the island, to further educate the youth on how they can also assist the national effort.