Virgin Islands – January 19, 2021
The Virgin Islands Department of Health Vector Control Program is excited to announce the start of its Mosquitoes in Cisterns Survey. This survey, conducted in partnership with the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit, is to learn if cisterns are important mosquito breeding grounds for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the mosquito species that spreads dengue, Zika and chikungunya in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The information gathered will help the Department of Health Vector Control Program make decisions about mosquito control in the future.
The Mosquitoes in Cisterns Survey includes two parts: First, survey staff will place a small, plastic mosquito trap into cisterns to collect immature mosquitoes for two days; second, survey staff will look for mosquito breeding sites in the yards around the homes and cisterns and eliminate when possible with the homeowner’s permission. The survey is free and open to the public and will take place in randomly chosen neighborhoods. The public is encouraged to participate if they see survey staff in their neighborhood
The survey is scheduled to begin at the end of January on St. Croix, early February on St. Thomas and early March on St. John. All social distancing protocols will be followed by survey staff. Anyone interested in participating or who would like more information can contact the V.I. Department of Health Vector Control Program at 340-202-0301 or email [email protected].
Overview of the organization
The Puerto Rico Science Technology and Research Trust is a private non-profit organization created in 2004 to encourage and promote innovation, transfer and commercialization of technology and creation of jobs in the technology sector. We are responsible for Puerto Rico’s public policy for science, technology, research and development. The Trust’s mission is to invest, facilitate and build capacity to continually advance Puerto Rico’s economy and its citizens’ well-being through innovation-driven enterprises, science and technology and its industrial base. Our vision is that by 2022, Puerto Rico is a globally recognized innovation hub that develops, attracts, and retains scientists, technology entrepreneurs, and enterprises to unlock world class creativity and competitiveness
The Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU) main responsibilities is to develop, lead, and deploy an effective integrated vector management (IVM) strategy to reduce the Aedes aegypti population and the burden of Zika, chikungunya, and dengue. PRVCU will carry out vector surveillance, community engagement and IVM for effective mosquito control.
