REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS + 59
 In the Public Health area, conditions have continued basically good.
 As the past year has been one of above average rainfall in the Virgin
 Islands, the need for the stepping up of the insect control program,
 particularly the mosquito control program, has. become evident.
 There has been no apparent increase in the incidence of potentially
 disease bearing mosquitoes, such as the Anopheles, Aedes Aegypti
 and Culex. Indeed, there is no knowledge that at the present time
 any focus of Anopheles mosquito exists. However, the much more
 common swamp and tree type of mosquito has flourished, due to the
 increase in vegetation and moisture, and its nuisance potential is be-
 coming more evident. Here, again, while an increase in mechanical
 and chemical control of these insects by the Health Department is
 planned, it is quite evident that community education must play an
 important role in the control of these insects as well as wide scale
 brush and swamp eradication.
 During the year, epidemics of measles, mumps, and chickenpox
 developed. Because of the long interval since the last epidemics
 and the large number of susceptible individuals, these epidemics were
 rather severe. In addition, the strain of measles virus appeared to
 be unusually virulent. Nevertheless, there were no deaths as a result
 of these epidemics and at year's end they had waned. Sporadic cases
 of infectious hepatitis continue to develop.
 During the year, several major steps to improve the economy of
 the Virgin Islands occurred, which have definite bearing on the prob-
 lems and planning of the Health Department. The runway at the
 airport in St. Thomas was lengthened to handle larger aircraft, and
 the runway at the Alexander Hamilton Airport in St. Croix began
 to handle jets, and nonstop flights from the mainland are in the
 offing. A new deep water dock, at the port of Frederiksted, was
 completed and will be attracting large cruise ships this coming year,
 and a large aluminum company completed plans to establish an
 alumina processing plant on the island of St. Croix. This plant plans
 to employ about 500 permanent workers, while employing 1,500
 workers during the construction stages. These major accomplish-
 ments point to the fact that planning to meet these problems must be
 bold and visionary.
 Finally, it appears that the problems of health insurance for the
 people of the Virgin Islands may not be settled solely on the need or
 lack of need for such a program here, but rather on the fact that this
 is becoming one of the fringe benefits which employees are expecting
 from employers, whether government or private. As such, it seems
obvious that a very definite program will become a reality soon.