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While dengue cases are on a blistering rise, some Kingston residents say they are putting up their guards. They insist they are doing everything to ensure that they do not fall victim to the mosquito-borne disease.

Hakeem Lewis, who refers to himself as a hustler, said that when he is out on the road he is fully armoured.

“Right now a bare tall sleeve shirt and tall-pants me a beat so di mosquito dem caa see me skin! All when me a bun up, a me dat fully wrapped,” he said.

Lewis says that when he is at home, he seeks to guard himself from the bloodsuckers.

“Me buy destroyer ,and when me caa buy it me use di toilet tissue and mek strangle. Fi get di strangle now, me roll up di tissue and light it. Dat work like di destroyer … when it burn, di smoke run weh di mosquito dem … dem afi run weh!”

Sherreka Angus, 35, says she lives in proximity to a gully in west Kingston, so protecting herself from mosquitoes, especially now, is a must.

“Me use di mosquito repellent spray pon me and di children dem. Me nuh store water. Yuh see if me have a drum wid water inaa it, me put likkle bleach inna it and cover it properly, so no mosquito cah get fi lay nuh egg in a it,” she explained.

“Yuh see tru me deh near di gully too, wid whole heap a water weh settle, me afi have di spray! Di destroyer, me caa use it, cause it trigger off me sinus. My children nah go have nuh symptoms cause me nah mek no mosquito bite dem! As me see evening come, me lock up di house. A dem time deh di mosquito dem come,” Angus said.

Another Kingston resident, Hopeton Drummond, told THE STAR that he is prepared to win the battle against dengue.

“Me nuh have di strength or money to bury nobaddy because a dengue … before dat me kill meself, a swear! Me nah mek dengue win! Dengue cannot win!” he said beating his chest.

“Boy, me fraid fi mi pickney dem. Right now a di paw-paw leaf me a use fi mek tea every day … morning and night fi gwan build up dem immune system. Me caah afford fi bury none a my pickney dem,” he said.