GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government department under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is calling on the community as well as visitors to wear light colored clothing at dusk; wear long sleeve shirts and pants; and use mosquito repellent to prevent being bitten by an infected mosquito that could possibly be carrying a mosquito-borne disease such as dengue, chikungunya or zika.
It’s the Carnival season, and visitors and residents are out and about enjoying the Carnival festivities. Due to recent rainfall, taking the aforementioned preventative measures into consideration can assist in preventing one from getting a mosquito-borne disease.
Mosquito-borne diseases such as zika, dengue fever and chikungunya are transmitted by an infected/diseased female vector Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is distinguished by its markings. The body of the mosquito has alternate black and white horizontal stripes. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito lays her eggs in clear (clean) stagnant water. Within eight days the mosquito can complete its life cycle from egg, to larvae to pupae and to and adult mosquito.
Persons are also requested to keep their homes, yards, neighborhoods and work environment free from potential mosquito breeding sites.
An increase in the mosquito population puts residents at risk. For information about mosquito-borne diseases prevention measures, you can call at 542-1122, 542-1222, 542-1322 and 542-1570; or emailsurveillance@sintmaartengov.org
