mosquito Archives

Fogging: A public spectacle that scares no mosquito

August 15, 2016 Srijitaa, Fogging:, mosquito, No, Public, scares, spectacle, That

“Fogging has no use. We do it to convince people that the corporation is taking steps to check mosquitoe… Read More Every time an association of residents dials the corporation helpline and complains of mosquitoes in a neighbourhood, a man or a vehicle with a mosquito fogger visits the next day to smoke out the midges. For years now, fogging has been the cornerstone of vector control activity undertaken by the Greater Chennai Corporation. Not only is this procedure ineffective, it is also highly polluting. The idea is not new…

Mosquito Traps Laced With Human Scent Help Fight Malaria

August 14, 2016 SrijitaFight, Help, human, Laced, malaria, mosquito, Scent, Traps, With

Dutch and Kenyan scientists have designed a unique mosquito trap which uses human odour to attract the malaria-carrying insects, helping cut the number of cases dramatically, researchers said Wednesday.A three-year study in Kenya found the special traps baited with synthetic smell helped to catch 70 percent of the local malaria mosquito population, and led to a 30 percent drop in cases in households using the devices. Published Wednesday in The Lancet, the research was carried out on the Kenyan island of Rusinga with the participation of all 25,000 residents. “The…

Chikungunya virus is transmitted across mosquito generations: Study

July 13, 2016 Srijitaacross, Chikungunya, generations:, Is, mosquito, Study, transmitted, virus

Researchers in New Delhi have found that “Aedes aegypti” mosquitoes that transmit the chikungunya virus, pass it on to their offspring — a feature that allows these mosquitoes to maintain the virus within their population for generations. In other words, mosquitoes emerging from eggs laid by infected Aedes also carry the virus, thus enabling the virus to keep circulating in nature. A team from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), National Institute of Malaria Research and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported this finding…