Cancún Fumigates Cemeteries to Curb Dengue Ahead of Day of the Dead

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Cancún’s three public cemeteries are being fumigated, cleaned and cleared of junk to keep the mosquitoes that transmit dengue from breeding, as rains continue and officials prepare for a surge of visitors during Day of the Dead celebrations.

Karina Espinoza Pérez, director of Opabiem, the municipal body that runs the city’s cemeteries, said crews from the Vector Control division of the Quintana Roo Health Department are carrying out fumigation at night and in the early morning hours so the work can proceed without interfering with visits.

Graves Cleared of Water-Holding Debris

The campaign also includes removing garbage and objects that collect water on graves, which can become mosquito breeding sites. The work covers three cemeteries:

• Los Álamos, in Supermanzana 91
• Los Olivos, in Supermanzana 99
• Parque Funerario, in the area of Portillo and Carabanchel avenues

At the same time, crews are carrying out maintenance and improving lighting to receive the families who will visit on Nov. 1 and 2. Espinoza Pérez estimated attendance could reach 10,000 people, 10 to 20 percent more than in previous years.

She said the cemeteries may remain open 24 hours on the main dates, although the schedules and protocols are still awaiting confirmation. A program allowing families to renew grave vaults will also continue through November, with details to be announced later.