Barbados’ enhanced mosquito control measures are successfully suppressing outbreaks this hurricane season, a top health official said Monday, urging the public to remain vigilant as heavy rains threaten new breeding grounds.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Chief Environmental Health Officer Ronald Chapman credited the Ministry of Health’s multi-pronged mosquito control strategy for the encouraging results, even as the country moves through the Atlantic hurricane season—typically a high-risk period for vector-borne diseases.
“We have not seen anything up and above the norm yet for the year. We would like to keep it [that way],” Chapman said. “We are already in the middle of the year. No outbreaks as yet.”
This comes after the ministry officially declared an end to the island’s most recent dengue fever outbreak, which began in October 2023 and led to 1 133 confirmed cases. The outbreak was declared over in May 2024.
Chapman stressed that while fogging remains a key weapon in the arsenal, it is far from the only one being used. “Fogging is just one of them. Some of the other strategies include public messaging. We also have inspectors who go house to house to look for mosquitoes. We also have inspectors who deal with complaints. The fog is still working. It still kills mosquitoes and so on. But it is one tool that is used.”
A combination of factors—including weather patterns, community involvement, and coordinated ministry interventions—has helped break the cycle of mosquito transmission since the last outbreak, Chapman said.
“There are a number of prongs to the strategy . . . the idea is to get into the public and reduce the number of mosquito breeding,” he explained. “What also helps significantly is when the rains stop. You usually get a reduction in the mosquito breeding. Once you can get that with the additional efforts like fogging and treatment, then that brings the levels down.”
While surveillance continues to monitor the number of dengue and other mosquito-borne illnesses, Chapman urged Barbadians not to become complacent. He advised households to take simple weekly steps such as walking around their property and removing standing water, which can quickly become breeding sites.
“If you have done that and you are still getting mosquitoes, then you can give the nearest polyclinic a call to have the inspectors come out and offer you some assistance,” he said. “Additionally, you can engage in personal protection. Wear long sleeves. You can wear mosquito repellent. Install flight mesh at the windows . . . . These things help to reduce the contact between human beings and mosquitoes.”
With Barbados vulnerable to heavy rains and stagnant water build-up during hurricane season, the government’s chief environmental health expert stressed the importance of public cooperation in keeping the mosquito population under control.
“We really would want to keep it that way. We are asking people to continue to be vigilant,” he said. (SZB)
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