ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
Health Ministry Issues Dengue Advisory | posted on 23 July, 2010
Ministry of Health Press Release…July 22, 2010, Basseterre – The Ministries of Health in St. Kitts and Nevis are monitoring the Dengue Fever situation in the region. There is no outbreak in the Federation at this time. In view of the excessive rainfall, prevention and control measures must be given the highest priority.
Residents of St. Kitts and Nevis are advised that there is no need for alarm but to continue practising the prevention and control actions mentioned in previous advisories from the Environmental Health Departments of the Community Health Service.
· The most effective way to prevent Dengue is to destroy mosquito breeding sites.
· Families, neighbours and community groups are encouraged to search inside and outside homes, and also in empty lots, for any container that can collect water. Pay particular attention to flower pots, pans, buckets, cans, tyres, coconut shells, Styrofoam containers, and plastic bags.
· Any container with larvae or “wrigglers” must be drained.
· Containers being used for water storage must be tightly sealed.
· Discarded containers must be collected and bagged for proper disposal.
· Households may also invest in mosquito nets and window/door screens.
Residents travelling to affected countries can adopt the following measures:
· Apply insect repellant to the body but only after carefully reading of the instructions on the label.
· Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants during the day.
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.
