Puerto Vallarta (PVDN) – The Interstate Strategy against Dengue is set to launch on Friday, May 26, in Puerto Vallarta, marking a collaborative effort between Nayarit and Jalisco to curb the spread of the disease and control its transmission vector.
Jaime Álvarez Zayas, director of the VIII Sanitary Region, stated that the initiative aims to jointly combat dengue in the metropolitan areas of Bahía de Banderas and Puerto Vallarta. He asserted that despite no confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne disease in Puerto Vallarta for 2023, preventative measures, including the elimination of mosquito breeding sites, must be coordinated with the neighboring municipality of Bahía de Banderas.
The interconnectedness of the metropolitan areas extends beyond shared economic and tourist activities. There’s also a shared risk of diseases like dengue, due to the presence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Zayas explained that while a mosquito may not fly far (around 150 meters), a person infected with the virus could facilitate its spread by transiting between the municipalities and being bitten by the disease vector. This highlights the need for joint strategies in fighting dengue in the region.
Zayas also announced that a comprehensive fumigation drive will commence on the following Monday, targeting the mosquito species that transmit dengue, zika, and chikungunya. The two-week-long intensive nebulization campaign will involve 16 vans equipped with specialized fumigation equipment, provided by the VIII Sanitary Region and supplemented by units from Guadalajara.
He concluded by noting that, so far, only one confirmed case of dengue has been reported in Tomatlán, one of the six municipalities under the Eighth Sanitary Region.
Dengue fever remains a significant public health concern in Mexico, including in Puerto Vallarta. Dengue is an illness caused by a virus transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. The country’s tropical and subtropical climate provides a suitable environment for these mosquitoes to thrive, especially during the rainy season.
Mexico, like many other countries in Central and South America, experiences recurrent outbreaks of dengue fever. It’s particularly common in urban and semi-urban areas, and the risk is higher during the rainy season (typically between June and October), when stagnant water provides ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
However, Mexico has made efforts to combat the disease, implementing public health measures such as vector control initiatives, public education campaigns about preventing mosquito breeding sites, and early detection and treatment of the disease.
In Puerto Vallarta, these efforts also hold true. Puerto Vallarta is a popular tourist destination with a tropical climate, so it is vital to keep the area as free from dengue as possible. Efforts often include initiatives like fumigation, clean-up campaigns to reduce potential mosquito breeding grounds, and public health education.
Puerto Vallarta (PVDN) - The Interstate Strategy against Dengue is set to launch on Friday, May 26, in Puerto Vallarta, marking a collaborative effort between Nayarit and Jalisco to curb the spread of the disease and control its transmission vector.
Jaime Álvarez Zayas, director of the VIII Sanitary Region, stated that the initiative aims to jointly combat dengue in the metropolitan areas of Bahía de Banderas and Puerto Vallarta. He asserted that despite no confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne disease in Puerto Vallarta for 2023, preventative measures, including the elimination of mosquito breeding sites, must be coordinated with the neighboring municipality of Bahía de Banderas.
