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Killer coastal fish to combat Japanese encephalitis
Shailvee Sharda, TNN | May 23, 2012, 05.02AM IST
LUCKNOW: A small fry from the coastal belt of India could prove a potent weapon in the battle against the menace of Japanese encephalitis in eastern Uttar Pradesh. This small killer fish, Gambusia, is known for devouring mosquito larvae - 100 to 300 per day. So, the UP government has added it to its armoury for controlling mosquitoes, which are primary responsible for the spread of the dreaded disease that has claimed more than 5,000 lives in the past seven years.
"Bringing Gambusia against mosquitoes is like launching a biological attack on disease-causing vector. Mosquito control is important to check both japanese and acute encephalitis," said Mukesh Meshram, NRHM mission director in the state. "Gambusia is a surface feeder, hence it is suitable for feeding on both malaria-causing mosquitoes (anophelines) and common house mosquito (culicines)," he added.
The cost of running the project in 20 encephalitis-hit districts of eastern UP is a meager Rs 39 lakh per annum. As per the project mooted by the state fisheries department, the government would buy these fish from Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra at a rate of Rs 4 per unit to be fertilized at 100 primary and community health centres in these districts. The full-grown fish would be released in drains, ponds and other places where water naturally gets accumulated and allows mosquitoes to breed freely.
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Shailvee Sharda, TNN | May 23, 2012, 05.02AM IST
LUCKNOW: A small fry from the coastal belt of India could prove a potent weapon in the battle against the menace of Japanese encephalitis in eastern Uttar Pradesh. This small killer fish, Gambusia, is known for devouring mosquito larvae - 100 to 300 per day. So, the UP government has added it to its armoury for controlling mosquitoes, which are primary responsible for the spread of the dreaded disease that has claimed more than 5,000 lives in the past seven years.
"Bringing Gambusia against mosquitoes is like launching a biological attack on disease-causing vector. Mosquito control is important to check both japanese and acute encephalitis," said Mukesh Meshram, NRHM mission director in the state. "Gambusia is a surface feeder, hence it is suitable for feeding on both malaria-causing mosquitoes (anophelines) and common house mosquito (culicines)," he added.
The cost of running the project in 20 encephalitis-hit districts of eastern UP is a meager Rs 39 lakh per annum. As per the project mooted by the state fisheries department, the government would buy these fish from Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra at a rate of Rs 4 per unit to be fertilized at 100 primary and community health centres in these districts. The full-grown fish would be released in drains, ponds and other places where water naturally gets accumulated and allows mosquitoes to breed freely.
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