Dengue Outbreak: Trinidad and Tobago Faces Alarming surge in Mosquito Population

With the change in climate and various other factors, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of dengue cases in the Americas, with Trinidad and Tobago to record the second death caused by dengue for the year 2024 so far.

A sudden surge in the mosquito population, brought along tension and increased worries about dengue and many other mosquito-related issues and diseases across the nation. Dr Lisa Indar, the Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), has urged the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and the property owners to exercise vigilance and take measures to deal with the issue.

In the woodland area, residents have informed that propagation of the mosquitoes have begun in the swampy areas and their plague is prevailing over the residents living in the vicinity. They stated that the condition is bad, they cannot even stay outside without feeling their feet being surrounded by mosquitoes.

The residents have called the councilors to spray insecticides but that didn’t help much. They even bought malathion (an insecticides) and sprayed around the area by themselves but even that didn’t solve the issue.

In an interview over the call, Edward Moodie, an Activist of the South Oropouche Riverine Flood Action Group, said that over the entire wetland area of more than 150 acres, there are millions of mosquitoes. He exaggerates that if a person goes down there in the evening, he will be eaten alive by the insects.

Although the region faces similar situations every year, but this year the entire lagoon has been flooded with saltwater fishes, thus no predators to feed on these mosquitoes and so a balance cannot be maintained. This is the reason behind the phenomenal spurt in mosquitoes, about three to four times than usual, this year.

According to the local citizens, the problem is not just limited to Woodland, but now has spanned across the areas of Siparia, Moruga, Prince Town, Penal/Debe and other regions too.

As per the reports, Gowrie Roopnarine, Regional Corporation Chairman, stated that about seven cases of dengue have already been confirmed within the New Grant area of Prince Town.