Householders need to step up mosquito patrols after the recent spell of wet weather, Government has warned, as the Island tries to resist deadly bug-borne diseases sweeping the US and Caribbean.

Senior Medical Officer Dr. Brenda Davidson said it was vital to check gardens on a weekly basis to remove standing water which could harbour mosquitoes.

The Island is on alert with the spread of West Nile virus through America and Canada which can cause a lethal swelling of the brain while dengue fever, which can cause fatal haemorrhaging, is an even higher risk because the mosquito which carries it is already here.

Dr. Davidson said the campaign to crack down on mosquito sites had been going well but she warned that even a discarded potato chip bag could gather enough water for them to breed in and she urged residents to do more.

She said: “We will definitely step up the mosquito campaign.

“We would want people to check sites not just once a month but check on a weekly basis.”

She said there was a lot of concern about dengue fever which was common in the Caribbean and South America.

She said if a person returned to Bermuda carrying the disease, mosquitoes could then spread it to other people.

She said: “It would be very difficult to control because there is no treatment for dengue fever.”

Households thought to be harbouring likely breeding sites can end up in court if they repeatedly ignore warnings to take action.

Dengue disease symptoms include high fever, headaches, muscle aches and joint pain.