The ingredients for a nasty mosquito season are ripe in the
Cayman Islands – hot days, rainy spells and people who want to frolic about as
the sun begins to set.
Most of the mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands are just
harmless pests. Sure they bite, but unless you are severely allergic, you
aren’t going to suffer much.
But we do have one mosquito breed in our midst that can be
dangerous; Aedes aegypti, the Dengue fever carrier.
Dengue usually isn’t fatal, but it can be an unpleasant
disease that usually lasts between 10 days to a month.
It can be dangerous if contracted more than once by a
person.
There is no vaccine for dengue.
The disease is manifested by a sudden onset of fever, with
severe headache, muscle and joint pains and rashes. The dengue rash is
characteristically bright red and usually appears first on the lower limbs and
the chest. In some patients, it spreads to cover most of the body.
There may also be gastritis with some combination of
associated abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.
It all sounds quite miserable.
Each August and September we are faced with the mosquito
dilemma as our rain counts increase.
We depend on the Mosquito Research and Control Unit to help
us keep the mosquito population at bay, but we also need to help.
The MRCU advises Caymanians to check around their yards for
anywhere water can collect and stand as some species of mosquito prefer to lay
their eggs close to humans. Children’s pools, plant pots and blocked rain
gutters are all examples of everyday places that mosquitoes can breed. To avoid
getting bitten the MRCU advises to avoid being outdoors 30-45 minutes before
sunrise and 30-45 minutes after sunset as these are the times recorded as
experiencing peak mosquito activity and cover up with clothing or repellant.
If you have any bodies or water that are difficult to empty
call the MRCU at 949-2557.
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