Residents are being encouraged to make every effort to inspect their residential and business premises and empty any containers holding water to remove mosquito breeding sites in and around their property.

Acting Chief Environmental Health Officer, Mrs. Yolanda Penn, said that with the recent period of heavy rains experienced over the last few days, residents are to conduct general clean-up activities which should include the removal of all receptacles that can become breeding sites. She said these include old tires, discarded buckets, pots or pet feeding dishes, abandoned and derelict vehicles. Water tanks, wells, buckets and boats, are to be properly covered, since these are also potential breeding sites.

Mrs. Penn stated, “We are asking the public for their assistance in reducing the risk of future outbreaks of Dengue Fever and Chikungunya by regularly (at least weekly) inspecting their premises for mosquito breeding sites.”

The public is reminded of the importance of keeping a sanitary environment.  Cleaning of the yard and clearing of bushes on a regular basis also reduces mosquito breeding and the spread of vector borne diseases.

The Environmental Health Division is committed to ensuring that all aspects of the environment with the potential to negatively impact the health of the population are managed efficiently to enable all persons in the BVI to attain and maintain optimal health and well-being.