Dengue Fever
Dengue: Pay Attention
The Health Departments of Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo confirm dengue and hemorrhagic dengue cases are on the rise in the states of Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo.
Dengue is spread by mosquitoes. To reduce the risk of contracting dengue, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends wearing clothing that exposes as little skin as possible and applying a repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 as the active ingredient. Additional precautions include:
- Installation of screens on all entrances to your living quarters and ensuring there are no areas near your home of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed.
- Keep the interior and exterior of your house clear of places and things where mosquitoes may procreate (i.e. clean water fountains, ponds, empty buckets, trash cans, containers, etc)
- Keep your lawn trimmed and pruned. Trim weeds and dispose of your organic trash frequently. Check your patio/terraces for standing water and material that may attract mosquito presence.
- Dispose or tip over all containers that may hold water. Wash plant pots and wash your pet’s water dish.
- Check if the water tank (tinaco) on your roof is properly covered. Inspect for holes or damage in your window screens, sliding doors screens, etc.
- Consider outdoor fumigation services to control mosquito population in the exterior areas of your home.
For further information on dengue fever, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) web site.
How to Contact Consulate Merida and the Consular Agencies in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel
Everything you need to know about contacting the Consulate in Merida, or along the Mayan Riviera, can be found at this US Consulate website.
Comments
Working Gringos 13 years ago
Hi Bill, mosquitos CAN breed in wells if they are open and stagnant. So yes, they should be covered to prevent that.
Reply
Bill 13 years ago
Do mosquitos breed in wells and if so do they need to be sealed?
Reply
Working Gringos 13 years ago
Hi Brenda, yes... those devices exist. They are difficult to find and are very pricey, and therefore unfortunately out of range for most of us.
Reply
Brenda Thornton 13 years ago
There are mosquito devices run on propane which emit CO2, which attracts mosquitoes and then destroys them. They may be quite useful in the event that one has a neighbor who isn't quite as diligent in their mosquito elimination efforts.
I understand that the mosquitoes involved in dengue fever are active during the day and night, so something of that type may well be of great use.
The one good thing about having a drought this year is that mosquitoes have been largely gone from our area of Texas, unless one lives near a greatly reduced, stagnant pond or stream.
Reply
(0 to 4 comments)