China has set up the world’s largest mosquito factory in northwestern Guangzhou province to tackle dengue fever by releasing one million sterilised mosquitoes every week in a bid to dilute their population with insects that don’t carry the disease. This was the first trial test in the field and it has been proved to reduce the mosquito population by 90 per cent. Releasing sterilised mosquito to the wild is one of several innovative attempts to tackle dengue fever by diluting the mosquito population with insects that don’t carry the disease.
Facts About Dengue
- Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection.
- The infection causes flu-like illness, and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue.
- About half of the world’s population is now at risk.
- There is no specific treatment for dengue/ severe dengue, but early detection and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates below 1%.
- Dengue prevention and control solely depends on effective vector control measures.
- Dengue has caused about 22,000 deaths a year worldwide, mostly among children.
Test Your Knowledge
The World Health Day is observed on
Name the principal species of Mosquito which transmits Dengue Fever?
