Road Town, Purcell Estate & East End declared 'mosquito hotspots’
Additionally, Road Town, Purcell Estate and East End were found to be mosquito hotspots.
This was revealed during an episode of Heath Bytes on June 7, 2023. The show, an initiative of Government Information Service, featuring Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer Henrietta Alexander and Environmental Health Officer Camille White, focused on 'Mosquito Awareness'.
'Turn over any container that can collect water'- Camille White
According to Ms White, one of the reasons for the areas being declared hotspots is due to the high number of containers collecting water such as tanks and buckets, adding to a large number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in these areas.
“You want to ensure that you clean around your premises. You turn over any container that can collect water [and] when you're going out in the evening, you want to make sure that you wear long sleeved clothing. To protect yourself, use bed nets,” Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer, Henrietta Alexander said.
“You can also use eco-friendly products like Rosemary and lemongrass oil. Those also help to repel the mosquitoes, but the goal is to engage in source reduction." Ms Alexander added that if there is an area where the mosquito can lay their eggs, that would mean it provides a breathing ground for adult mosquitoes.
Reducing breeding sites a top priority
“So the goal is to practice source reduction. We want to make sure that you clean our own premises, whether it's your home your work, your church, wherever, you want to make sure that you do that so that we can prevent mosquito breeding.”
Meanwhile, Mrs Alexander said the Environmental Health Division will continue its work during the 2023 Hurricane Season with weekly entomological surveillance, cleaning, and engaging the public.
“Persons are also allowed or encouraged to call us if they see that they have a mosquito issue or you know whatever it is that we can give them advice,” she said.
Persons with wells and septic tanks are also being encouraged to check to make sure they are properly sealed so that mosquitoes cannot fly in and make them a breeding site.
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And fogging won’t help if we all don’t participate and keep surrounding clean