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CHIKUNGUNYA
IS TRANSMITTED BY MOSQUITOES
What
is the best way to reduce populations of mosquitoes?
The
first and best defense against these pests and the illnesses they may
carry is to eliminate the places where they breed. Here are a few
suggestions:
- Remove
or empty water in old tires, tin cans, buckets, drums, bottles or
other places where mosquitoes might breed. Be sure to check clogged
gutters and flat roofs that may have poor drainage. Make sure
cisterns, cesspools, septic tanks, fire barrels, rain barrels and
trash containers are covered tightly with a lid or with 16-mesh
screen.
- Empty
plastic wading pools at least once a week and store indoors when not
in use. Unused swimming pools should be covered or drained during the
mosquito season.
- Change
the water in bird baths and plant pots or drip trays at least twice
each week.
- Store
boats covered or upside down, or remove rainwater weekly.
- Empty
your pet's water bowl daily.
- Level
the ground around your home so water can run off and not collect in
low spots. Fill in holes or depressions near your home that accumulate
water.
- Fill
in tree rot holes and hollow stumps that hold water.
- If
you have an ornamental water garden, stock it with mosquito-eating
fish (e.g., minnows, "mosquito fish," or goldfish). They eat
mosquito larvae.
- Keep
weeds and tall grass cut short; adult mosquitoes look for these shady
places to rest during the hot daylight hours.
- Use
a flyswatter or household spray to kill mosquitoes, flies or other
insects that get into buildings.
- Some
mosquito control methods are not very effective. Bug zappers are not
effective in controlling biting mosquitoes. Various birds and bats
will eat mosquitoes, but there is little scientific evidence that this
reduces mosquitoes around homes.
- Community-wide
mosquito abatement efforts can be quite effective if they are
conducted as part of an integrated pest management program. This
includes monitoring and draining or treating areas where mosquitoes
breed — such as street catch basins, occasionally flooded marshes,
river backwater areas, swamps and other low-lying areas.
How
can people protect themselves from mosquito bites?
- Avoid
places and times when mosquitoes bite. Generally, the peak biting
periods occur just before and after sunset and again just before dawn.
Each species, however, has its own peak period of biting. Tree-hole
and Asian tiger mosquitoes, for example, feed during daylight hours in
or near shaded or wooded areas.
- Be
sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
- Wear
appropriate clothing. Long-sleeved tops and long pants made of tightly
woven materials keep mosquitoes away from the skin. Be sure, too, that
your clothing is light colored. Keep trouser legs tucked into boots or
socks.
- Use
mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure
and to protect small babies any time.
When it is
necessary to be outdoors, apply insect repellent as indicated on the
repellent label. The more DEET a product contains, the longer the
repellant can protect against mosquito bites. However, concentrations
higher than 50 percent do not increase the length of protection. For most
situations, 10 percent to 25 percent DEET is adequate. Apply repellents to
clothes whenever possible; apply sparingly to exposed skin if label
permits. Consult a physician before using repellents on young children
If you have any
queries as regards to mosquitoes and their control, contact the
Environmental Health Officer in your nearest health centre or call the
Environmental Health Section on 248 388079 or email us on denvironment@moh.gov.sc
Chikungunya
under control in Seychelles, contrary to some media accounts
Useful
links
CHIKUNGUNYA
MEDIA SPOTS ON CHIKUNGUNYA HEALTH
DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS IN mosquitoes and their
control
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