Residents of the Virgin Islands are urged to support efforts to minimise mosquito breeding in the Territory.

Due to the passage of hurricane Irma, the Environmental Health Division will not be in a position to conduct fogging activities therefore the community is encouraged to engage in practices that support the reduction of mosquito breeding sites.

Officials from the Environmental Health Division told the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) that as a result of the impact of Hurricane Irma, the natural environment, which serves as a buffer during fogging, has been severely compromised.  Fogging the community under these conditions would cause direct human exposure to the chemicals used.

The Division will therefore be concentrating on treating stagnant bodies of water such as ponds, drains and ditches. Regular premise-to-premise inspections will resume very shortly.

In the meantime, the general public is asked to assist with the reduction of mosquito breeding by doing the following:  Mesh all cistern overflows, keep cistern manholes covered, and keep covered water storage containers such as buckets, drums and bottles. Persons should also remove all other containers that can collect water from their premises and drain any holes puddles or stagnant water that can potentially become a breeding site.  Ornamental pools, fountains and roof gutters are to be flushed and persons are advised to fill depressions in the ground with dirt, gravel, and stones where possible.

If your cistern is breeding mosquitoes, please call 852-7525 or 852-7679 for assistance between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Monday to Friday.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development is committed to ensuring that all aspects of the environment with the potiential 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.