Nation put on dengue alert…
GUYANESE, particularly those residing along the country’s coastland, are again being urged to pay close attention to the cleanliness of their surroundings. The reminder yesterday by Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, comes in the wake of a dengue outbreak declared Friday by the Trinidad and Tobago Government.
Medical Officer in Trinidad, Dr Anton Cumberbatch made the declaration following the confirmed deaths of three people due to the virus, the unconfirmed deaths of two others, and more than 600 reported cases of dengue.
Minister Ramsammy is therefore urging residents to  check “without delay” around their dwellings to ensure that there are no receptacles, such as old tyres, lying around with stagnant water that can serve as an ideal  breeding ground for the aedes aegypti mosquito.
He said Guyana and other countries in the region have been addressing the issue by increasing their capacity in terms of vector control, even though it’s a well known fact that dengue is not spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito, but rather by people’s own doing, like having stagnant water around the yard, in tanks and in old tyres.
He said that while the government is playing its part by implementing vector control “ if we are to stop the increase of dengue, much more will have to be done in terms of personal effort.”
And in addition to ensuring that one’s surroundings are kept as clean as possible, the Minister said that every home should ensure that beds are equipped with mosquito nets, and that they have enough mosquito repellants available.
Alluding to Guyana’s long-term approach in addressing the issue, Dr. Ramsammy spoke about the introduction here of the bacillus thurigenesis, a `special’ bacteria, into canals, drains and alleyways where there is not a constant flow of water.
Such projects aimed at controlling mosquito breeding sites could be found in Cuba, Peru, Mexico and New Orleans and introduction of it here, as a  pilot project, is being done at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice.
The project will soon be taken to Mahdia, and later to other areas on the coastland, where the threat looms greatly.
The aim is to teach people how to grow the bacteria, which is done through the use of coconut water.
Dr. Ramsammy reiterated that the response at containing the increase  of dengue