Autocidal Ovitrap: Monitoring and controlling tool for mosquito-borne disease
by: Kimberley Mae Llano
Mary Gacus, 19 years old, was diagnosed with dengue fever when she was 12. Critical at stage 2 of dengue, Mary took a lot of water boiled with so popular then yet scientifically unproven healing wonder, tawa-tawa herb. Also, she was injected with a drug which helped increase her platelet count as told by her doctor. After a week in the hospital, Mary was finally free of the serious mosquito-borne disease.
Based on the medical insurance claims paid by Philhealth. Dengue fever ranked 8th place as one of the leading causes of hospitalization in the Philippines in 2010.
In the recent report by the National Epidemiology Center of the Philippines, there are already 59,943 cases of dengue reported from January 1 to September 6, 2014 throughout the country. As compared to last year’s statistics, the percentage of the dengue cases lowered by 59.57% this year with 148,279 number of cases reported in January to September 2013.
Most of the cases reported were from Northern Mindanao with 10.47% of the total cases, 9.6% from CARAGA Region, 9.19% from Davao Region, 8.93% from CALABARZON Region, and 8.01% from Central Luzon.
Based on the report, majority of the patients were 5 to 14 year old children (38.91% of the total cases). More than half of the patients were males with a percentage of 52.77%. Since January 2014, a total of 242 deaths was recorded and most of them were children.
As of June 19, 2014, there are already 333 dengue cases recorded in Misamis Oriental which makes it as the province in Region X having the most cases of dengue. Also, Cagayan de Oro was named as the city in the region with the highest number of dengue cases.
With these high numbers from growing cases of dengue, although lesser from last year’s case reports, it is still alarming that a lot of people, particularly the children, are getting infected by this viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.
A report from Rappler.com states that a prototype vaccine for dengue, devised by the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur, has become more effective as a protection against the dangerous fever. The so-called CYD-TDV vaccine was proved after several trials in Asian countries.
According to Health Secretary Enrique Ona, the vaccine will hopefully be made available by 2015 in the Philippines.
Since the vaccine will be available by next year, it means that the people still have to wait for next year to avail for it. Thus, the number of dengue cases will still continue to grow without the immediate cure or prevention of the disease.
Yet, there are no specific medications to treat such disease. However, medical specialists advise to keep surroundings clean and avoid storage of water where mosquitoes can possibly lay their eggs. In addition, they recommend applying insect repellant regularly since mosquitoes attack anywhere in any time of the day. Also, dengue patients were cautioned on using herbal medicines since they have not been scientifically proven to cure any dengue cases.
The surveillance tool
As of now, researchers still continue on studying how to treat and prevent such viral disease. Adding to the long list preventive measure is the development of the Ovitrap. According to Mr. Danilo A. Gualberto, a faculty member from the Biology Department of Xavier University, an Ovitrap or Ovicidal Trap is a device that can lure adult gravid mosquito to lay their eggs inside the trap. “Once the mosquitoes can get inside the trap, their eggs can be killed”, he said.
In 2006, Gualberto started his research focusing on the Autocidal Ovitrap Control Method against Dengue Vector Mosquitoes and GIS (Geographic Information System). Through this study, he introduced a new technology on which it can help on monitoring and controlling the population of mosquitoes that are possibly carrier of dengue virus.
In his research, he presented and made use of the Autocidal Ovitrap. It is a newly developed type of ovitrap specially designed to attract mosquitoes and control them for possible eradication of their population.
Moreover, Gualberto introduced such new technology with practicability and efficiency. He proposed the Auotocidal Ovitrap in a way that it will be made easily available for everyone especially to those people who are from rural areas and small communities.
“Practically, our objective is to trap mosquitoes efficiently with less materials”, he explained. Also, Gualbuerto said that with the use of some household materials, anyone can make an ovitrap. A dipper, slice foam or rubber mat, a window screen, piece of wood, and water, are the only things needed to make an ovitrap.
In his study, Gualbuerto discussed the advantages of using the Autocidal Ovitrap. It is said that it is safe for the environment and for the people since it has no chemical pesticides used in the ovitrap. Specifically, it is made only for “container-breeding” mosquitoes. Also, it does not induce insecticide resistance since the growing medium that is used is only water. It can be implemented and fabricated at home. Furthermore, it is relatively inexpensive compared to other methods and devices for the control and surveillance of the mosquitoes.
Rooted from his thesis, this research has now gone too far. Gualbuerto, together with his team, conducts seminar in different communities in the city. “As part of the mission of the Biology Department, we conduct community-based outreach,” he added.
With its goal to cover the whole city with the knowledge and skill on making and using ovitrap, they have started implementing the new technology in Barangay Carmen, Camaman-an, Kauswagan, Balulang, Macasandig, and Lumbia.
As of the outcome of the implementation of the research, they still don’t have yet the specific results since they lack on people who can monitor on a regular basis.
For now, they are collaborating with KKKP (Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana) in facilitating the research to different communities. Also, Biology students were tasked to do dengue surveillance and control program and ovitrap installation while the Economics students were assigned to do cost benefit analysis on the implementation of ovitraps for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Studies that were being conducted showed that the autocidal ovitrap is very effective in monitoring and controlling the population of the mosquitoes. It was found out that the ovitrap is capable of continuously destroying the eggs being laid without the intervention of humans and except for periodic refilling of the ovitrap with water when it has become dry.
For now, Mary Gacus maintains applying mosquito repellant and wears protective clothing. Also, she admits that whenever she sees stagnant water, she instantly spills it out to avoid multiplying the habitats of the mosquitoes. She also shared that she goes to her doctor immediately whenever she experiences symptoms of dengue.
Although Dengue cannot be transmitted from one person to another, a lot of people could still be infected even in one place. Maintaining the surroundings clean could help prevent being infected with dengue especially that there is still no cure to treat such disease.
With the use of the Ovitrap, it can help reduce the population of mosquitoes. In that way, it can possibly lower the number of cases for the dengue disease.
Sources:
http://www.healthphilippines.net/2011/05/illnesses-philippines-philhealth-claims/
http://www.wpro.who.int/philippines/areas/communicable_diseases/dengue/continuation_dengue_area_page/en/
http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/life-health/63026-vaccine-dengue-promising
http://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/safefood/dengue_fever/index.html
