Larnaca municipality on Wednesday announced that the systematic spraying to combat mosquitoes continues in the district to reduce numbers and protect public health.
According to a statement, “in parallel with the spraying, crews from the health ministry’s sanitation service continue campaigning door to door to fight the Aedes aegypti mosquito and inform the public about the measures to deal with it”.
The municipality reminded that even the smallest amount of stagnant water retained in any objects or spaces in their homes/properties is capable of breeding mosquitoes.
It added that during recent checks, many members of the public were found to keep places where mosquitoes can hatch, like swimming pools that are out of order, old cesspits that were not properly sealed after the buildings were connected to the sewerage network, old car tires, water storage barrels, old tanks, clogged rainwater grates on ramps/basements where water is retained as well as flower pot saucers, tanks or containers with aquatic plants such as water lilies.
Mosquitoes also hatch in stacked car tires in outdoor areas of tire repair facilities or even machine shops, the statement added.
“Old tires must be regularly removed by licensed companies, and in case they will remain in one place for a long time, need to be covered so that they do not retain rainwater,” it said.
It added that mosquitoes can even hatch in flower vases in cemeteries, where the water remains stagnant for a long time, and reminded that the water must be replaced every seven days.
“Every citizen is responsible for ensuring that their residence/business/space is free of stagnant water conducive to the hatching of mosquitoes,” the municipality said.
“Already the species of mosquitoes that exist now in Cyprus are capable of transmitting infectious diseases to humans such as the Yellow Fever virus, Dengue Fever, Zika virus, West Nile virus and others”.
For this reason, the municipality said it “has no other choice but to take measures against those who are proven not to comply with the instructions of the competent services and continue to maintain breeding grounds for mosquitoes”.