Monday, January 3, 2011

Fighting Dengue Fever OR Fighting Mosquitoes OR Discipline People?

Australia launched world-first project to wipe out dengue feverXinhua China Daily
Updated: 2011-01-03 10:35:00
CANBERRA, January 3 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year by a groundbreaking Australian scheme to wipe out dengue fever. Australian scientists have developed a bacterium that acts as a vaccine for mosquitoes, which could in turn stop the disease spreading in humans. About 6000 dengue mosquitoes bred in a laboratory will be released as part of a world-first science experiment starting in far north Queensland of Australia on Tuesday. The trail will last for 12 weeks. Up to 100 million people, largely from developing countries, being infected with dengue fever each year, a global solution was long overdue. 40,000 people die, because families in poorer nations are unable to seek health care. This project could become the safest and most cost- effective solution, eliminating the need for environmentally harmful insecticides.
"By April we should know if we are on the right track or not, in our bid to stop the Aedes aegypti mosquito from being able to transmit the dengue virus between people,"
The project aims to control dengue by introducing bacteria to mosquitoes which stops them passing on the virus to humans. The bacteria, known as Wolbachia, has a powerful ability to invade natural populations of insects and alter their reproduction and lifespan. Dengue is a significant disease that has no effective controls or vaccine. It affects hundreds of millions world-wide and costs millions of dollars to treat. It is carried by an urban dwelling mosquito that is almost impossible to eradicate.
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easy way to reduce dengue fever in Malaysia, we fine mosquitoes breeder or jail them instead of promoting advance research in biology.
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The Star; Sunday December 5, 2010
Mosquito breeders face maximum RM10,000 penalty


JOHOR BARU: Johor is one of the top states in meting out fines against premises found to be mosquito breeding grounds.

State Women, Family, Health and Community Development Committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai said until Nov 20, a total of 58,243 premises have been checked and 10,038 have been found to be breeding mosquitoes.

The state health department has issued fines totalling more than RM783,120 to premises found to be breeding mosquitoes.

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