This week’s featured overall development as Newsmaker of the Week are the concerns of Jamaicans, as expressed on social media, relative to the perceived sharp increase in the mosquito population locally following the recent passage of Hurricane Beryl.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness has announced an increase in its vector control activities, given the recent passage of the category four hurricane and the resulting increase in mosquito-breeding sites.
The passage of Beryl has seemingly left Jamaicans battling more than just storm damage – a surge in mosquitoes has seemingly taken over some communities, prompting concerns about health risks, and driving social media users to share their experiences and respective ‘solutions’.
Videos on TikTok have gone viral, showing individuals using electric fly swatters, commonly called zappers, to kill the pesky insects, with many expressing frustration and humour about the situation.
Other videos showed users sharing their own mosquito-eradication strategies.
“Mosquito a go kill me if unuh nuh deal with dem. Me tired a them,” declared a woman on Facebook.
“Light green bush a evening time and search the yard dem fi breeding sites nuh. Sometimes a we ’cause the mosquitoes,” a man recommended.
“Portmore needs urgent help. Mosquito always deh Portmore, but it increase bad, bad,” another woman wrote.
Added another jokingly: “The one (mosquitoes) dem a Portmore different since the storm, ’cause dem nuh worry come through window, a the front door dem step through nowadays.”
On TikTok, the concerns were also evident over the increase in the presence of mosquitoes.
“A down a Westmoreland unuh need to come. From me born mi never see mosquito a attack so, and dem come in group fi yuh. Not even zapper can help wi down yah,” a man commented.
Suggested a female social media user: “I nah see the people dem from ministry a spray mosquitoes much, so me a call on dem to please help we out. Mosquitoes out fi nyam we over Negril yah.”
In a seeming response to the growing concerns, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, detailed the rise in mosquito population across the island and the ministry’s mitigation efforts during a press briefing held on Thursday at the ministry’s New Kingston office.
“With the recent passage of Hurricane Beryl and the reality of the rainy season, there will be a significant and sustained increase in the local mosquito population – both the vector and nuisance populations,” the minister pointed out.
Dr Christopher Tufton
Before the passage of the hurricane, the minister noted that the Breteau Index (BI), which measures the number of containers found with mosquitoes per 100 houses, was very low, at a figure of approximately 18.6.
“In the wake of the hurricane, all containers treated have washed out and refilled, thus significantly increasing the number of mosquito-breeding sites,” Tufton explained.
Arising from this, the ministry is urging members of the public to be aware of ‘cryptic breeding sites’, that is, mosquito breeding sites that are not readily visible, or which may be in remote locations or beyond human reach.
These include rocks with depressions, underground drains, as well as vast, swampy areas.
The caution came given the anticipated increase in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector that causes dengue fever. The Aedes aegypti is among the 74 species of mosquitoes in the island.
The ministry is also flagging, for the public’s attention, a general increase in other vectors, such as flies and rats, which typically increase in presence following weather events such as a hurricane.
On that score, Medical Entomologist at the ministry, Sherine Huntley Jones, is urging Jamaicans to prepare for the likely increase in not only mosquitoes, but also rats and flies.
“Rats like water, food, and they are looking for somewhere to live, but you can’t entertain them,” Jones advised.
Continuing, she said: “If you are providing water and access to food, then you are entertaining them (the rats). And so, in order to chase them away, you have to make the environment uncomfortable, and that is simply by just removing access to foods.”
In relation to the mosquito population, the medical entomologist noted that out of 74 species of mosquitoes in Jamaica, there will be likely increase among four to six of the species, including the Aedes aegypti, mainly because of their close relation to domestic spaces.
“Anywhere water is now settling and stands for over seven days, we are going to have breeding in those water bodies, and this will result in the increase in the mosquito population, and we are seeing this in a lot of our communities that would have been affected following the passage of Hurricane Beryl,” she informed.
She suggested that persons cover empty drums to prevent further increase.
Meanwhile, southern parishes, which were among those most affected by dengue cases in the last year, and were mainly impacted by Hurricane Beryl, have been prioritised for interventions.
Among the ministry’s response efforts are plans to deploy an additional 400 vector control workers across high-risk communities to identify and treat mosquito breeding sites.
In addition, they will assist with fogging activities. This is to bring the current number of temporary vector workers to 1,000.
Additionally, fogging activities have been extended to seven days a week, and are being conducted both in the mornings and evenings, with special emphasis on urban centres and high-risk communities.
In tandem with the above, private pest control operators (PCOs) are being engaged to further strengthen the fogging activities in areas of most need.
“We are targeting 10 private contractors, with those numbers to be adjusted based on developments over the next couple of months,” Tufton said, adding that the ministry will also be distributing drum covers to help stem any significant increase in the Aedes aegpyti population.
Despite the measures announced by the ministry and the general advise to prevent mosquitoes, Jamaicans continue to express their concerns about the insects.
iStock photo
“The mosquito dem around before Beryl, and is like dem get worse now, and the ministry people dem need to stop just fog the roadside dem, and come in people yard,” a woman suggested.
Wrote another sarcastically: “We need them (the vector control workers) now! Judgment! Dem (the mosquitoes) a fly away with the house and every body in it. Mercy!”
A male Facebook user said that, “Anuh mosquito dem yah, a vampire or chicken hawk dem. Not even zapper, spray and destroyer a help wi again.”
Commented a woman: “I don’t see the rats so much, but the mosquitoes are getting out of hand here in Bog Walk. I can’t even stay outside in the evenings anymore.”
Another jokingly wrote: “It look like Beryl fly the gate for mosquito election! Dem get so big and black and attack mostly in the evenings in the dark, because I still have no light here in St Ann.”
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