January 06, 2004

By: Jane Quinn
Website: http://www.1st-in-mosquito-control.com

PAHO working with countries on mosquito control in Central America

The Pan American Health Organization is working with the Central American countries on mosquito control, using chemical and biological means to kill both larvae and adult mosquitos.

"The ideal peak for epidemic transmission of mosquito-borne disease generally comes eight to 12 weeks after an accumulation of standing water," said Dr. Renato Gusmao, an advisor on communicable diseases at PAHO . "We're working with the countries now to reduce the density of vectors, both in the larval phase and in the adult stage."

Prevalent mosquitoes in Central America include aedes aegypti, which carries dengue, and anopheles albimanus, which carries malaria, Dr. Gusmao said. In areas of standing water health officials are using biological larvicides, and to kill adult mosquitoes they are using aerial fogging and direct spraying on buildings, Dr. Gusmao said. "It is critical that the countries obtain enough larvicides, insecticides and equipment to be able to control the population of vectors now. If we wait too long there could be a problem," he added.

Dr. Hugo Prado of PAHO's Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief program said active epidemiological surveillance and control of possible disease outbreaks continues, concentrating on dengue, malaria, diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections, the main health problems in Central America. He said "Technical cooperation with 60 specialists in different fields from all the countries of Latin America continues, mainly in Honduras and Nicaragua. There is strong support for work in environmental sanitation, water purification, sanitation in shelters and food safety."

PAHO's latest epidemiology report on Central America notes that epidemic cholera activity is still going on in the five affected countries. Leptospirosis, a potentially fatal disease transmitted by contact with rodent urine or feces, was reported in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala; and dengue cases have risen in some countries, with deaths from hemorrhagic dengue in Honduras. El Salvador has reported six cases of cholera, with one death. The Ministry of Health continues executing disease prevention and control plans. In Guatemala 736 cases of cholera were reported in the two weeks after Hurricane Mitch, of which 170 were confirmed, with 3 deaths. Total leptospirosis cases continue at six, including five confirmed cases.

In Honduras, the Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Health said irregularities were detected in the daily reports of diseases under surveillance, leading to suspected under-reporting. Up to 21 November, 3 confirmed cases of cholera and 11 suspected cases were reported, and on 23 November one suspected case of leptospirosis was reported in Choloma-La Lima. The patient died and the samples collected are being processed. To date, the total number of reported cases is five, and four deaths have occurred. On dengue no new information was reported. Through 21 November, the Ministry had reported 1,080 cases of classic dengue, and had confirmed 15 cases of hemorrhagic dengue, which resulted in the death of four people.

Also see: chronic malaria symtoms

Author Notes:

Jane Quinn contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-mosquito-control.com.  Find mosquito control products, repellent sprays, traps, netting and other alternative measures for protection.