54 vehicles and heavy machinery are being used to combat vector-borne diseases in Merida

Upon hearing one of the 54 vehicles with heavy machinery approaching his home, with which the State Government reinforced the fumigation efforts against the mosquito that transmits dengue fever, Buenaventura Costa Tzec, a resident of Cinco Colonias in Merida, opened doors and windows to contribute to these tasks and thanked the important effort being made to protect the health of Yucatecans.

“I applaud the fact that they are reinforcing the fumigation so that the mosquito that transmits dengue does not continue to reproduce and, not only that, also here at home even the little ones know not to accumulate water out there in the yard; we have also followed the recommendations made by the Yucatan Health Secretariat (SSY) and that serves to control the presence of the insect in homes, so it costs us nothing to add to what the State Government is doing to protect our health and, above all, that of our children,” Costa Tzec assured.

Fumigations against dengue in Merida and municipalities

Last Saturday, the State Government reinforced its fumigation efforts against this insect in neighborhoods and police stations in Merida, as well as in the municipalities of Uman, Ticul, Valladolid, Kanasin, Tizimin and Tekax, in order to protect the health of the Yucatecan population.

This work, which began last Saturday, is in addition to the permanent fumigation campaign against dengue that the Government of Yucatan has throughout the territory. This work will be carried out with the use of 54 vehicles with heavy machinery and the participation of 130 elements. The schedule of activities will be from 03:00 to 05:30 hours and from 18:45 to 21:30 hours.

For this, those in charge of these tasks will make use of heavy fogging machines, new generation thermal equipment and manuals.

In this sense, Buenaventura pointed out that when he heard about the fumigation day, his whole family got ready. “So when we heard them we opened all the windows and doors to let the vapor of the substance enter and we hope that this will help us not to get sick with dengue fever, so there is nothing left but to do everything possible to prevent the presence of the mosquito,” he shared.

Preventing dengue is everyone’s responsibility

Finally, the 69-year-old retired nurse invited Yucatecans to join in the work being carried out by the State Government because, “I don’t think this is only the responsibility of the authorities, but of all of us who live here in the neighborhood and in their respective areas. It is up to all of us to do a little bit because at the end of the day this is how we are going to make sure we don’t get sick, so I am glad that they are putting more effort into fumigation because it is very useful for the citizens,” commented the neighbor.

Finally, the 69-year-old retired nurse invited the people of Yucatan to join in the work being done by the State Government, “I don’t think this is only the responsibility of the authorities, but of all of us who live here in the neighborhood and in their respective areas. It is up to all of us to do a little bit because at the end of the day that is how we are going to make sure we don’t get sick, so I am glad that they are putting more effort into fumigation because it is very useful for the citizens,” commented the Cinco Colonias resident.

At the end of the 34th epidemiological week, the SSY reported a 60 percent increase in vector control actions compared to last year, including larval control and residual spraying in homes, as well as space fogging, decacharrization, and buildings certified as free of mosquito breeding sites, which is an indicator of the continuity that the State Government has carried out to safeguard the health of the Yucatecan population.

Also, Argelia Medina Segovia, neighbor of the Chuminópolis neighborhood, indicated that, it is very important that these intensive fumigation actions against dengue are carried out in Yucatan.

“I am grateful that this is a priority for Yucatecan society because in the area of health we must reinforce actions to prevent diseases and not saturate the health systems, so we must double our efforts, society and government, to prevent dengue fever in Yucatan.

“I am grateful that this is a priority for Yucatecan society because in the area of health we must reinforce actions to prevent diseases and not saturate the health systems, so we must double our efforts, society and government, to prevent diseases,” he said.

“Joining efforts to avoid contagions”.

The 43-year-old mother of a family and employee also invited citizens to support these efforts. “What we can do in our homes will add up to strengthen prevention and the efforts made by the State Government, for example, avoiding leaving garbage cans and water accumulation, because there is no point in fumigating if we have a dirty yard. We must also do our bit to prevent these diseases, so I think it is a work between government and citizens, as always,” he concluded.

It is important to remember that in Yucatan there are 4 types of dengue and immunity to them is achieved after having each type, but currently the one with the greatest presence is dengue virus 3, since it has not been present in our region for a long time, so we are not immune and because of that more cases of this disease are occurring.

Therefore, citizens are advised to leave the doors and windows of their homes open when the brigades circulate through their homes and to take co-responsibility by joining this effort, washing all containers and drinking troughs of their pets, covering those that accumulate water, getting rid of those that can serve as deposits, turning over containers and dishes to prevent them from becoming potential breeding grounds.

The population is also called upon to take additional preventive measures, such as the use of repellents, household insecticides and protecting windows with screens, while insisting on the importance of keeping their yards clean, tidy and free of hatcheries.

TYT Newsroom