Dengue fever also known as breakbone fever, is an acute febrile infectious disease caused by the dengue virus. Typical symptoms include headache, a petechial rash, and muscle and joint pains; in a small proportion the disease progresses to life-threatening complications such as dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome.
Dengue is usually transmitted by the mosquito
Aedes aegypti, and rarely
Aedes albopictus. The virus has four different serotypes, and an infection with one usually gives lifelong immunity to it but only short-term immunity to the others. There is currently no available vaccine, but outbreaks can be prevented by reducing the habitat and number of mosquitoes, and limiting exposure to bites.
Treatment of acute dengue is supportive, using either oral or intravenous rehydration for mild or moderate disease and blood transfusions for more severe cases. Rates of infection have increased dramatically over the last 50 years with approximate 50–100 million people being infected yearly. The disease has become global and is currently endemic in more than 110 countries with 2.5 billion people living in areas where it is prevalent.
Dengue still become an important issues in Malaysia especially in the urban areas.
Many approaches have been taken to combat dengue fever.
1. kill mosquitoes namely
Aedes albopictus.
2. educate public to destroy mosquitoes breeding places.
3. fine public who breed mosquitoes
BUT the problems continue. WHY?
1. Public respons.
2. Research. How much money government gave for dengue research or mosquitoes research. OR any researchers interested?
Recently government talk about biological contro using another species of mosquitoe
Toxorhynchites. This research was conducted by UPM since 1988 but no support by the government or UPM itself. simply because of it is a basic research and no commercial values. May be we need to wait until european advise then we will bark on it again.
Toxorhynchites, also known as mosquito hawks or mosquito eaters, are a cosmopolitan genus. The genus includes the largest known species of mosquitoes, but in spite of their alarming appearance, they are among the few kinds of mosquito that do not suck blood. Rather, the adults subsist on whatever carbohydrate-rich materials might be available, such as honeydew, or saps and juices from damaged plants, refuse, and fruit, but probably mainly nectar.
The larvae of Toxorhynchites prey on the larvae of other mosquitoes and similar nektonic prey. In this respect they contrast with blood-sucking species of mosquitoes; Toxorhynchites larvae live on a protein- and fat-rich diet of aquatic animals such as mosquito larvae; they have no need to risk their lives sucking blood in adulthood, having already accumulated the necessary materials for oogenesis and vitellogenesis.
Female mosquitoes whose larvae, unlike those of Toxorhynchites, are detritus feeders could in principle subsist on nectar and the like, as their males in fact generally do. However, by relying on blood meals the females can produce eggs more plentifully than a diet of nectar would permit. Even though blood sucking is a risky strategy that entails more casualties, the risk is outweighed on average by the increase in the number and size of yolk-rich eggs that such protein-rich food permits.
The name "Toxorhynchites" apparently comes from the Greek toxo meaning arrow and rhynch meaning snout.
Most species occur in forests. The larvae of one jungle variety, Toxorhynchites splendens, consume larvae of other mosquito species occurring in tree crevices, particularly Aedes aegypti. The adults of these mosquitoes are larger than Aedes and are harmless to humans.
Disease vector or toxin control researchers have suggested that Toxorhynchites mosquitoes be introduced to areas outside their natural range in order to fight dengue fever.
