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Aedes Mosquito Control

12 Sep 2025 GS 3 Science & Technology
Aedes Mosquito Control Click to view full image

Context

  • Aedes-borne viral diseases (ABVD): Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya.

  • Challenge: Persisting reliance on fumigation, though evidence shows it is ineffective.

 Nature of the Aedes Mosquito

  • Adapts to human settings; feeds indoors during day and under artificial light.

  • Short flight range: 100–200 metres → local actions are highly effective.

  • Traditional methods (fumigation, vaporizers, bed nets) ineffective.

 Current & Emerging Strategies

A. Top-Down Approaches

  • Wolbachia mosquitoes: Bacteria reduces transmission capacity; promising but costly.

  • Dengue vaccines: Under trial, but no coverage for Zika/Chikungunya.

  • Spatial emanators (transfluthrin-coated sheets): 15-day indoor protection; Peru study showed 34% reduction in ABVD risk.

B. Personal Protection (First Line of Defence)

  • Clothing: Loose, full-body covering (esp. Sept–Nov).

  • Repellents:

    • Approved globally: DEET (20%), picaridin, 2-undecanone, IR3535.

    • Plant-based (OLE/PMD): Effective but not for children <3 yrs.

    • Citronella & similar oils: Unreliable, short-lasting, risk of irritation.

C. Community Mobilisation (Bottom-Up)

  • Larval Source Reduction:

    • Removal of stagnant water (pots, vases, coolers, tyres, plastics).

    • Use of lids on water containers (cuts larval odds by 94%).

  • Evidence-based studies:

    • Camino Verde RCT (Latin America): 29% reduction in dengue infections via community-led action.

    • Chennai RCT: Reduced larval breeding.

  • Temephos larvicide: Shown to increase risk due to false security + resistance.

  • Plastic pollution: Strong predictor of dengue outbreaks.

 Policy & Campaigns in India

  • MoHFW 2017 Monograph – India Fights Dengue: India-specific guidelines (coconut shells, coolers, etc.).

  • ASHA workers: Potential to implement larval control at community level.

  • Delhi Campaign – Rule of 10: “10 Weeks, 10 AM, 10 Minutes” → weekly household water-check routine (Sept–Nov).

 Way Forward

  • Shift from fogging-centric approaches → larval control + personal protection.

  • Ensure availability of safe repellents (DEET, picaridin, PMD, IR3535) in Indian markets.

  • Integrate bottom-up community mobilisation with top-down innovations (Wolbachia, spatial emanators, vaccines).

  • Address plastic pollution & waste management as part of dengue prevention.

  • Build public awareness to fight misinformation about repellents.



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