GHMC adapts new methods to curb breeding of mosquito responsible for rising dengue cases in Hyderabad

Oil balls made up of saw dust and dipped in engine oil, application of pyrethrum spray, and the traditional fogging, containing insecticide Malathion have been deployed on a war footing basis to control the breeding of mosquitoes.

Hyderabad: A silent winged invader that originated in the forests of Africa and made its way across multiple continents to India, is now caught in the middle of a storm, as public health and municipal officials desperately look for ways to counter its prodigious breeding habits and get a grip on cases of dengue in Hyderabad.

As dengue infections continue to rise, authorities from GHMC entomology wing and health department are literally racing against time to control the breeding of Aedes aegypti, the Asian tiger mosquito which is behind the surge of dengue infections in Hyderabad.

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Oil balls made up of saw dust and dipped in engine oil, application of pyrethrum spray, and the traditional fogging, containing insecticide Malathion have been deployed on a war footing basis to control the breeding of mosquitoes.

Do such anti-larval measures really work?

Unlike other mosquitoes, the Aedes mosquito is unique and it has different breeding habitats, says Professor, Department of Zoology and OSD to VC, Osmania University, Prof. B Reddya Naik. To control its population, one needs to have a separate strategy and not the one’s meant to control breeding of other mosquitoes species.

“Aedes mosquito breeds in secluded and remote areas. It is the small left over empty containers, receptacles, coconut shells, old tyres etc where these mosquitoes breed. So, the strategy to take-on Aedes aegypti should be different,” says Prof Naik.

During heavy torrential rains and flooding, mosquito larvae get washed away. However, incessant and steady rains create a large number of unreachable potential breeding grounds in secluded areas for Aedes aegypti.

“At present, we are unable to curb such unique breeding grounds of Aedes aegypti mosquito. As a result, they are proliferating quickly and the transmission of the disease is also happening at a fast pace,” explains Prof Naik.

The senior researcher, who trains field level workers in the entomology wing, emphasizes the need to explore novel and newer ways of countering mosquito breeding.

“There are numerous research studies indicating that over the years, Anopheles, Aedes and Culex mosquitoes have developed resistance to insecticides. So, fogging and spraying usually do not give the desired result of curtailing larvae growth. Newer ways of vector-control measures must be explored all through the year and not during monsoons,” says Dr Reddya Naik points out.