The Ministry of Health has so far purchased 28 fogging machines at a cost of $5.264 million. These are from a total of 48 fogging machines being procured as part of the Dengue Outbreak Control Programme. The total budget for the 48 machines is $9.024 million or $188,000 each.

Each Parish Health Department will benefit from the fogging machines and eight machines have already been delivered. An additional 20 is expected this month.

Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse, explained that the machines are being procured from funds approved by Cabinet for the Post-Hurricane Sandy Emergency Dengue Outbreak Control Programme, which is funded by the National Health Fund.

Adult mosquitoes

"We expect that these fogging machines will significantly enhance the Vector Control Programme and improve our ability to reduce the prevalence of adult mosquitoes especially in high-risk areas," Dr DuCasse explained.

She said although the ministry continues to work towards reducing the spread of dengue and has seen some success with a trending down in the weekly number of cases in recent times, it is still important that persons recognise their individual responsibility.

"Householders, school officials and operators of business establishments should continue to spend at least 10 minutes per week to search for and destroy mosquito breeding sites to reduce the aedes aegypti mosquito which spreads the disease," she said.

From the start of the year up to the week ending December 15, 2012, the ministry has recorded 5,384 clinically suspected cases of dengue fever with 732 being laboratory confirmed. There have been 10 confirmed dengue-related deaths.