Every resident of the Turks and Caicos has been deputized in the fight against mosquitoes; this was today announced by the Ministry of Health and Human Services as the Caribbean marks Mosquito Awareness Week.
The focus of the week is to reduce mosquito breeding sites around the country and the Ministry has given that responsibility to each and every one of us. We all need to check that our homes and businesses are not prime breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito, this becomes especially important following a weekend of rainy weather.
The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is the carrier of Dengue Fever and Chikungunya Virus which are already in the TCI and of Zika, which is, to date, not recorded in our islands.
The Health and Advocacy Unit explains that there will be school visits by Vector Control Officers to teach students about mosquito larvae, some homes will be visited, and fogging will be beefed up.
Swamp areas will continue to be monitored and mosquito fish will be distributed to communities in need.
Add to the efforts on the ground, there will be a multi-national web conference and the Turks and Caicos will be logged on.
As for the theme, it is pretty catchy and very smart: “Mosquito Awareness Week” – “Small bite, Big threat: Fight the Bite, Destroy Mosquito Breeding Sites”.
