Can larvicide take sting out of mosquitoes?

CUTTACK: Even as the denizens of the millennium city continue to writhe under the sting of a severe mosquito menace, the use of larvicide is now at the centre of a tussle between the civic administration and the State Health department. While the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has trained its guns on the Bacillus Thruingiensis Israelensis (BTI) molecule used as larvicide, terming it ineffective in the local conditions, the State Public Health authorities are not yet ready to buy the allegations. A Technical Committee would thus be formed to conduct field trials using the larvicide and determine its efficacy or otherwise as put forth by the CMC. The committee, as decided in a meeting among the agencies, will be chaired by Director, Public Health, and comprise experts from the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Institute of Life Sciences, Joint Director (malaria) and officials of the National Malaria Control programme along with CMC and district administration health officers. Use of BTI, the eco-friendly bacteria spores-based larvicide, has been mandated by the Central Government and supplied to all the urban local bodies for carrying out anti-mosquito measures. Till now, there have been no complaints from other cities and towns apart from Cuttack. “We will conduct trials under the guidance of experts to evaluate the situation ourselves and then decide on the course to be taken”, Director, Public Health, Dr S G Biswal, said. Mosquito density in the city continues to be on a high this season despite claims of intensive control measures by the civic body authorities. Latest surveillance reports have put the density at around 48 even though this period sees a dip in the vector population due to the winter chill. Maximum normal density is 50 during the peak breeding season in the post-monsoon months till November. The civic administration has now claimed to have taken up drain cleaning measures on a war-footing. Bush cutting and treatment of breeding sides have been initiated on a massive scale with special teams engaged in each ward. As many as eight fogging machines have been provided by the Health department to deal with the menace of adult mosquitoes in the open. Yet, the efforts do not seem to be yielding results.