Philipsburg- Head of the Hygiene & Veterinary Department Tony Boyrard, says that after two days out in the field in an intensified door-to-door/yard reduction campaign, his dengue fever vector control teams have noticed a concerted effort being made by Point Blanche homeowners to clean-up their surroundings to prevent mosquito breeding."The homeowners of Pointe Blanche have made a serious effort to take the advice that the Dengue Action Response Team (DART) has been promoting for weeks about taking preventive action to stop mosquito breeding and the spread of dengue fever.
"There is still a lot of work to be done, but house by house, district by district, if everybody takes their own responsibility to clean-up their surroundings and remove items that could become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, we will be able to control and manage this current and serious outbreak of dengue fever.
"In some of the yards that we came across homeowners had already turned over pails and containers that could have easily filled with water during a rain shower and be an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. Those with cisterns have the open areas covered with a type of wire mesh/mosquito net. We discovered a blocked drain with a lot of vegetation and called in an excavator to get it cleaned up.
"Businesses in residential areas are also being inspected. At a small eatery, we discovered that patrons threw their cans, cups and other items on the ground which can become a breeding habitat for mosquitoes. We advised the owner of the eatery on what measures needed to be taken immediately in order to prevent this from happening again," Boyrard told (GIS) on Monday.
The Hygiene Department Head also added that the door-to-door/yard reduction campaign that started on Friday morning in the district of Pointe Blanche is going well and the inspection teams are meeting their daily house-to-house/yard targets pointing out that by Wednesday midday the aforementioned area would have been completed.
Vector control efforts for mosquitoes, larvae and potential breeding sites will then start behind the Vineyard and Over the Bank. Residents in this area can expect to see vector control teams of two persons canvassing their neighborhood on Thursday morning between 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 mosquitos from breeding in the water.
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.
