Thru the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), 200,000 kits of mosquito ovicidal-larvicidal traps will be distributed next month in selected communities nationwide. This will help to destroy the population of dengue-carrying mosquitoes, which are expected to increase because of La Niña phenomenon. According to DOST Secretary Mario Montejo, dengue is a serious and growing public health apprehension. Every year, the number of victims is increasing and the problem of this mosquito-borne disease is also intensifying. The Ovicidal Trap System (OTS) from DOST, has successfully passed laboratory and field tests. It is a simple trap system made of black painted usual tin can which contains organic solution that emits carbon dioxide that serves as an attractant to mosquitoes, and a strip of lawanit board. These will be the breeding cans that will kill 100 percent of eggs and larva of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. The cost of the container and solution is P35.00 or less. But the residents may use their own plastic container and buy the solution that only costs around P5 per pack.
The positive result of the month-long field tests covering 250 households in barangays Bagbag in Quezon City and Nangka in Marikina City validate the effectiveness of the ovitraps, Montejo noted.
Last September, DOST had chosen two barangays with the highest number of dengue cases in Metro Manila. The country has 69,594 dengue cases from January to August 28, 2010 with 465 deaths. The govt. agency will only release 2,800 kits per region, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is included. National Capital Region will get 5,200 kits because of the high number of reported dengue cases. Ovitraps is safe both to humans and the environment considering that it is all-natural. [via malaya.com.ph]
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