SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — With 10 new fogging machines, a new Toyota Coaster bus, and two additional units bringing the total fleet to seven pickups, the Westmoreland Health Department’s (WHD) vector control programme is now in an even stronger position to fight mosquitoes and rodents that pose a health risk across the parish.

As Chief Public Health Inspector Steve Morris noted during last Thursday’s regular monthly general meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, the new equipment also includes a new, ultra-low volume (ULV) fogging machine.

“Our total is now 24, with 19 of them functional, and our three ULVs are functional,” he told locally elected officials.

“We have improved our equipment and we continue to maintain them so that we can continue to provide the service as best as we can,” added Morris.

He also used the opportunity to implore residents to continue the “search and destroy” approach, especially for breeding sites in and around their premises.

The public health official said that for the month, the department has identified 6,756 containers with water. Of that amount, 5,909 were breeding mosquitoes.

“We need to remind our residents to continue to search and destroy in and around their area, and do not wait until the team comes to those sources,” entreated Morris.

His comment was supported by medical officer of health for Westmoreland Health Department, Dr Marcia Graham who also addressed the meeting.

“You hear chief saying we search and destroy? It is a must. Please [comply], because fogging is just for the adults. If we fog today and you have breeding in your nursery at home, mosquito babies that are six days old and five days old and four days old, after we fog today, in two days’ time you will have new adults,” explained Dr Graham.

The medical officer also debunked a popular claim that suggests fogging contributes to an increase in the mosquito population.

“No, it’s the ones that you have in your nursery at home [that] have come to maturity, and so that’s why it is very important that we understand that fogging is not the solution. Fogging is when we fail to control and eliminate the breeding sites and then we end up with adult mosquitoes. They, adult mosquitoes, [would have] just reached the age of when they say, ‘I believe that I can fly.’ And they do. So we have to work with the science. This is serious,” she added in reinforcing her point.

Meanwhile, Morris revealed that the hard work of the health department is paying off. He said the Breteau Index (BI) of 17.33 per cent for February is a small reduction from the 17.4 per cent it was during the same period in January. This was achieved despite a reduction in fogging.

During February, 71 communities were fogged in comparison to the significant figure of 116 in January.

“In January we were doing an extended programme — and so we were doing morning and evening fogging — but since February we have only been doing evening fogging because the extended programme had stopped,” Morris explained.

He also noted that permanent staffing of 59 remains the same, as well as 24 temporary task workers who will continue until March 27.

The chief public health inspector then gave an update on the ongoing rodent control programme. He said baiting was extended into the Haddington, Albany Housing Scheme, New Works, Smithsfield, Georges Gate, Fort Gate, and Hope areas.

Morris said the department continues to revisit and re-bait areas previously done, which include Little London, Negril, White House, Darliston, Bethel Town, Smithsfield, Grange Hill, and also Georges Gate.

“At the end of February we had some 1,599 bait stations and re-baited 1,089 of them. We are seeing a 54 per cent take-off of the bait, and we continue to implore our residents not to remove the bait stations or the bait from them. The team will revisit and re-bait so that we can know [from] which areas the rodents are taking the bait,” Morris presented.

“We will continue to extend the programme into other communities where residents complain of seeing rodents so we can continue to reduce the population in our parish,” he added.

Westmoreland Health Department’s Medical Officer of Health Dr Marcia Graham during last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the parish’s municipal corporation. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

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