Ready for rainy season, battle against mosquitos starts March 3

The health authority is getting a jump on rainy season with a March 3-4 cleanup. Photo: Sipse

Mérida, Yucatán – The first massive descacharrización of 2018 in Mérida will begin 8 a.m. Saturday, March 3 and last two days, the state Ministry of Health announced.

The clean-up effort rounds up unused pots, planters and other items that could hold water, creating a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitos. The public is asked to bring them to the curb on Saturday in the south and Sunday in the north of the city.

Avenida Jacinto Canek and Calle 59 is the north-south dividing line.

Cases of dengue are up, and zika and chikungunya have declined, but are still a concern.

It also anticipates Yucatán’s rainy season, which begins in May and lasts until early October.

In 2017, 111 dengue cases were registered (76 mild and 35 with serious symptoms) in the state. Fifteen zika cases and zero chikungunya cases were recorded.

January was wetter than normal. According to the National Water Commission (Conagua), the month saw 55.2 mm/2.17 inches of rainfall, exceeding an average of 35.4 mm/1.4 inches.

The year’s first descacharrización will reach 230,720 homes located in 278 neighborhoods — including the Centro — covering a total of 11,536 hectares. Pickup hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The following weekend the crusade moves to the city’s outlying comisarías.

Source: Sipse

Read More