Originally posted by Mulegena
Knowledge and liberal application of that knowledge is one of the best preventatives of mosquito-born illnesses, I think.
The public health agencies here in Baja Sur educate the public and urge us to eliminate the breeding ground of mosquitos. They send a representative
around door-to-door who have the authority to look at homes' black water systems. They distribute small packets of powdered calcium carbonate to
sprinkle on open cisterns.
This year the Municipality of Mulege county-wide is not spraying the air from a truck as it's believe to be ineffective, hence they're encouraging
individuals to eliminate the source of mosquitos in their homes. However, the black water tank exhaust pipe of almost every home is open and
unscreened which allows free access in and out of the cisterns. In my neighborhood I have the only screened cistern. This cost only a few pesos to buy
a quarter meter of screen from the hardware store and tie it over the standing pvc pipe; I wish the health department would require this measure.
Mulege's dirty little secret: Unfortunately, the black water treatment system for Nuevo Mulege is open and dumping raw sewage out onto the ground.
That's the new subdivision of houses and relocated Ceccyt, the college prep school a couple miles south of town. I discovered this just last Friday
when I took my daughter to school and went in the back untraveled dirt road. I had to drive right through the black, stinky mess! Not only is it a
horrible bacterial stew but it's a prime breeding ground of mosquitos!
The kids knew all about it, said it had been that way "forever". You can be sure that I'm making a formal report to the town delegado and the health
department and will include photos!
While I'm at it I'll include a report of the unscreened pvc piles, too. |