Health dept turns to mosquitofish to check dengue
Health dept releases western mosquitofish, commonly known as Gambusia, that eats mosquito larvae, into the ponds of Khushal Singh Wala village in Ferozepur.
The health department officials released western mosquitofish, commonly known as Gambusia, that eats mosquito larvae, into the ponds of Khushal Singh Wala village on Monday.
A team of officials, led by civil surgeon Pardeep Chawla, reached the village and first held a seminar to make villagers aware of dengue, besides the importance of sanitation .
Chawla told villagers, “Gambusia fish eat the larvae of mosquitoes that spread dengue. So, it helps in controlling the disease.”
“We are releasing the fish in the ponds of the village today and will soon release them in the ponds of other villages as well,” said Chawla.
“Aedes aegypti and anopheles genus are the species of mosquitoes that are primarily responsible for spreading dengue and malaria, respectively. Therefore, people should maintain proper hygiene in their surroundings and should not allow water to stagnate,” said Minakshi Dhingra, another member of the health team.
Mosquitofish are smaller in size in comparison to many other freshwater fish, with females reaching an overall length of 7 cm (2.8 inches) and males 4 cm (1.6 cm). Mosquitofish were introduced directly into ecosystems in many parts of the world as a biocontrol to lower mosquito population.