St. Maarten
updated on September 22, 2008
It is indeed startling that St. Maarten (Dutch) records about two Dengue cases a month. It is even more disturbing to learn from the St. Maarten Sector Health Care Affairs (SHCA) Dengue Action Response Team (DART) that there were six laboratory Confirmed Cases of Dengue for the month of August alone. Three cases were recorded in July. The data for September is not yet available.
Head of the SHCA Dr. Rachel Earsel, in recognizing the increase in the number of Confirmed Cases, has gone so far as to place St. Maarten in epidemic mode for Dengue. She was keen to stress though that only six cases were at issue here. However, the fact that there has also been a spike in lab requests for Dengue Fever, particularly from the St. Johns community, was sufficient cause for the SCHA and the Hygiene and Veterinary Affairs Department to step up their anti-Dengue response. As to how many of the six Confirmed Cases originated in St. Johns is still unclear at this stage.
Roddy Heyliger of sxmislandtime.com reports that residents of the island are being encouraged to get involved in the fight against Dengue by ensuring that they disallow the Dengue mosquito from breeding in stagnant water on their premises. The St. Maarten Daily Herald notes that in this respect, residents of St. Johns were sent targeted letters from the HV Affairs Department urging them to be mindful of the precautionary measures they need to take to stem the Dengue tide.
The plea from the Department of Hygiene & Veterinary Affairs and the Public Works Department to Dutch St. Maarteners is more specific still. Their direction to all residents and building contractors is to remove water bearing containers from their homes and businesses to the Philipsburg landfill, but that they should first puncture these containers to prevent them from accumulating water while at the landfill.
The DART for its part is set to resume fogging on the Dutch side in support of the public information campaign. Fogging was discontinued earlier on due to incessant rainfall. When the rains finally cease, St. Johns will be at the top of the list for fogging. Other districts will be fogged thereafter, again weather permitting.
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THING YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT MOSQUITOES.... It would take 1,200,000 mosquitoes, each sucking once, to completely drain the average human of blood. (Sources: discovermagazine.com / anannimos.blogspot.com) - Now you know.
Woodshed Environment Coalition 
You may call the Hygiene Department at (codes)+ 542-2079.
If it all works out, you are going to check back with us here at the Coalition and relay your experiences, will you Erin?
Please inform where I may speak with someone in person from the St. Maarten Sector Health Care Affairs and/or the Department of Preventive Medicine.
I am a graduate student of public health from the US looking for an opportunity to volunteer on the island in dengue prevention and control.
Thank you!!!!