The Larnaca municipal health services began additional checks and spraying on Friday, aiming to address potential mosquito breeding grounds across the district.

Municipal health inspector Andreas Stergides explained that the presence of the relevant mosquito species, those being Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit diseases not endemic to the island, such as Dengue fever and Zika, was nothing new, with an organised daily house to house programme having operated for years in collaboration with the state health services.

Stergides said the municipality’s approach placed particular emphasis on prevention, early intervention and systematic surveillance, carried out daily by anti-malaria teams.

Special traps have been placed to monitor mosquito populations in cooperation with the health ministry, given Larnaca’s significant entry points, including the airport, port and marina.

The traps form part of the national mosquito surveillance programme, with additional units expected to be installed soon.

Stergides stressed the importance of public cooperation, urging residents to remove stagnant water from basins, flowerpots, old tyres and gutters around their homes, and recommending the installation of window and door screens as an additional measure.