Cook Islands health officials are worried that the growing number of abandoned homes and overgrown sections on Rarotonga can harbour mosquito breeding sites.
The health ministry is keen to prevent another outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya which reached near-epidemic proportions on Rarotonga last year.
The Cook Islands health protection officer, Charlie Ave, says in most cases, the owners of the properties of empty homes and weed-ridden areas, are off island and staff have to try and track down relatives and get them to take action.
Photo: 123rf
He says the owners of most properties are heeding advice to keep their surroundings clean.
The Ministry of Health is also keeping a close eye on the situation in Samoa, where hundreds of cases of dengue fever have been reported this year.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said visitor arrivals from Samoa would be closely monitored while there was any danger of the disease spreading to the Cook Islands.