Personnel from the Chapala government and the state health department hit the streets this week with a community outreach dengue fever prevention program.
Brigades will be visiting different neighborhoods throughout the rest of this month to distribute information on the debilitating viral disease and tips on checking proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread infection.
The disease-bearing insects commonly lay their eggs in pools of still and untainted water that may be held in containers as small as a bottle cap. Health authorities recommend frequent refilling and scrubbing of uncovered water depositories such fountains, pools and troughs for domestic animals where eggs may hatch or lay dormant for months on end. Buckets, tubs and other types of containers used in the home should be emptied and stored upside down. As a key precaution, residents are urged to rid their properties of weed growth and all kinds of refuse that may accumulate rainfall. City garbage collectors and private junk dealers are enlisted to follow the brigades for curbside removal of waste materials.Fumigation to eradicate adult mosquitoes is considered the least efficient method of eliminating the insects due to its short-term effects.