Gönyeli-Alayköy steps up mosquito control in border areas due to West Nile virus

Gönyeli-Alayköy Municipality has stepped up mosquito control in the border areas of Yenikent, Batıkent and Alayköy after cases of West Nile virus infection were recorded in the Republic of Cyprus. Hüseyin Menderes, the municipality’s head of health services and a veterinary physician, said that efforts to combat disease vectors are carried out year-round, all 12 months, rather than only in response to recent events.

Earlier, on September 8, the Ministry of Health of the TRNC reported three confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Northern Cyprus.

According to Menderes, the municipality has established a data-driven prevention system rather than one based on residents’ complaints: regular on-site inspections, the identification and elimination of breeding grounds, biological control methods, scientific traps for monitoring mosquitoes and digital risk maps.

Data on previous treatments, seasonal statistics, current weather conditions and information from the field are analysed together, allowing teams to be sent to problem areas in advance without waiting for residents to report them. Treatment is carried out both indoors and in open areas, while staff inspect homes to identify possible mosquito breeding grounds.

Residents can report a mosquito breeding ground or another pest-related problem by calling Alo 186 or the pest control service at 0539 121 10 76. Residents are asked not to leave water in open containers, to cover water tanks, check the condition of drains, regularly change the water in animals’ drinking bowls and install screens on windows and doors.