Garth A. Rattray | Mass killah one…(Mosquito one…)

Whenever I ask people what is the world’s deadliest animal, they say sharks, lions, tigers, poison snakes and hippopotami. However, the animal that kills far more people than any other animal, including human beings, is the tiny mosquito. The Anopheles mosquito carries the malaria parasite that kills almost half a million people each year. Most of the victims are children living in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In Jamaica, the Aedes aegypti mosquito carries the chikungunya, Zika and dengue viruses that have been plaguing us in recent years. Dengue has caused several deaths, especially in children.

The way to prevent these illnesses is to prevent being bitten by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The Government has been relentless in its effort to significantly reduce the population of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. However, the real problem arises when citizens do not play their individual parts to rid our land of this potentially deadly pest.

Currently, dengue is of major concern. Symptoms of the disease include fever along with two or more of the following – pain behind the eyes, muscle pain/joint pains, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, a rash, sore throat, and perhaps coughing. These symptoms are not confined to dengue; however, given the presence of the disease, the index of suspicion is high if those symptoms are present.

The severest form is dengue haemorrhagic fever. There is high fever, feeling very ill, pain, spontaneous bleeding, and perhaps signs of circulatory failure. In the most severe cases, death sometimes ensues. In mild or uncomplicated cases of dengue, treatment is aimed at relieving the symptoms, proper hydration and rest. Symptoms last from five to seven days. More severe cases are managed in hospitals, where far more aggressive treatment and supportive care are needed.

EXERCISE VIGILANCE

Citizens need to become extremely vigilant about their surroundings and report suspected breeding sites outside of their purview. Mesh windows and doors if possible, sleep under mosquito nets if you can. Spray out rooms intermittently, allow fogging to enter your home.

DEET has been proven to be the best mosquito repellant. However, it has to be reapplied several times each day as long as you remain exposed. When treating dengue at home, only use products like Panadol or Cetamol for pain and fever; other products may cause excessive bleeding if you have the severe form of dengue. Mosquitoes are indeed mass killers.

Mass Killah one…Mass Killah two

Mass Killah jump inna hot callaloo

Di food too hot so dem jump pon you

Pon yuh foot, hand, back an pon yuh face too

Mass Killah jump inna any water dem see

Mass Killah lay eggs inna hole, pan and tree

Mass Killah lay inna pots, tyres an vaz

Mass Killah pickney spread faas faas faas

Mass Killah don’t care who yuh be

Mass Killah carry diseases fi harm you an me

Dem love suck blood from one to di neddah

Dem wi sick yuh, maddah, fadah, sistah an breddah

Mass Killah kill eldah an pickney caaz yuh see

Dem immune system nah function so perfectly

Chick-V, Zika an Dengue spread far an wide

Wi can stop dem wid dis simple guide

Check unnu vaz weekly an mek sure

Cover properly any water unnu a store

Get rid of anyting in which dem can hide

Bore holes in di ole pan dem outside

Now an den spray all bout inna unnu room

Lock it up, mek Mass Killah choke pon di fume

Open unnu house when govament a fog outside

Use nets an deet sprays, to dem deh tings abide

If we kill dem, dem cyaah kill we

Eradicate Mass Killah wherevah dem might be

There’s no need to suffah an maybe die

Listen to di govament, dem nah tell unnu lie

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.