Aedes -borne viral diseases (ABVD) – Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya – are hurting India’s productivity. Local governments and the public are focusing their efforts on outdoor fumigation. This method persists despite evidence that it is ineffective in the area. It has also not been backed by national agencies as a routine measure.
The Aedes mosquito adapts well to human settings. It feeds indoors during the day and under artificial light at night. Thus, methods such as outdoor fumigation, vaporizers, and bed nets are ineffective against it.
Top-down approaches, such as Wolbachia mosquitoes, which use naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia to help suppress mosquito populations or help breed mosquitoes that are unable to transmit disease, show promise. But high costs and weak institutional support limit their adoption. Trials of a dengue vaccine are underway, but they do not offer protection against Zika or Chikungunya.
The best ways to combat Aedes mosquitoes are therefore currently through personal protection and community mobilization.
First line of defense
Traditional pyrethroid-based fumigants (commonly used in households) are of limited use as Aedes activity is minimal at night and they have developed a tolerance to these chemicals. An effective strategy is to focus on protecting us from mosquitoes, rather than killing them.
Loose clothing that covers as much of our body as possible from September to November is a sensible first step. Safe non-insecticides (topical repellents) can then be applied to the skin. By releasing volatile compounds, these repellents impair the mosquito’s sense of smell, essentially rendering us invisible. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of several effective and safe Aedes Repellents. DEET is the Gold Standard for insect repellents. More than 200 million people use it safely each year. A 20% concentration provides about six hours of protection. Para-Menthane-Diol (PMD), an essential oil from the lemon eucalyptus plant (OLe/Citronellal), is also effective. It is one of three plant-based repellents approved by the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention. Picaridin , a compound similar to piperine found in black pepper, and 2-nederecanone , extracted from the wild tomato plant, are also effective Aedes repellents. IR3535 , derived from the naturally occurring amino acid β-alanine, also works well.
Global public health agencies and experts approve DEET (20%), Picaridin, 2-Unnecanone, and IR3535 for use by breastfeeding, pregnant women, and children. Agencies do not recommend OLE/PMD/Citronellal for children under 3 years of age.
Turpretī daudzi labi zināmi dabas produkti, ieskaitot Citronella eļļu, nav uzticami. Viņi mēdz zaudēt savu efektivitāti 1-2 stundu laikā iztvaikošanas dēļ no ādas. Neatšķīrīga koncentrācija izraisa smagu ādas kairinājumu. Eksperti iesakiet to izmantot kamēr nav pieejami augstas kvalitātes pētījumi un drošības testi.
Sabiedrības mobilizācija
Līdz Aedes Moskītu ir mazs diapazons 100-200 metriApvidū Tādējādi vietējās kopienas darbības, lai noņemtu kāpuru selekcijas vietas, var ātri un spēcīgi ietekmēt.
Ietekmīgs Camino Verde Nejaušināts pētījums (RCT) pārbaudīja kopienas darbības. Apmācīti vietējie vadītāji mācīja kopienām par odu uzvedību un kāpuru vaislas vietām. Mājsaimniecības no augu podiem noņēma stagnējošu ūdeni. Viņi arī iztīrīja un pārklāja iekštelpu un āra ūdens traukus. Visbeidzot, viņi atbrīvojās no izmestām plastmasas pudelēm un riepām. Šie centieni samazināja tropu drudža infekcijas par 29%. Līdzīgs RCT no Chennai parādīja samazinātu kāpuru selekciju. Lietošana Efektīvi vāki uz ūdens traukiems Samaziniet kāpuru klātbūtnes izredzes par 94% citā pētījumā.
Pārsteidzoši, ka Camino Verde pētījumā tika atklāts, ka kāpuru temephos (ķīmiska viela, kas nogalina moskītu kāpurus) palielināja tropu drudža risku. Pētnieki secināja, ka visticamākais iemesls bija nepatiesa lietotāju drošības sajūta, liekot viņiem nolaist savu apsardzi. Daudzi pētījumi no Dienvidāzijas kopš tā laika ir apstiprinājuši, ka Aedes kāpuri var attīstīt pretestību līdz temephosApvidū
Plastmasas piesārņojums ir tieši saistīts ar ABVD pārraides risku. Pētījumi parāda izmesta plastmasa Paredzēt tropu drudža epidēmijas un regulāru miskastes vākšanu/plūdu pārvaldību aizsargāt pret ABVDApvidū
Veselības un ģimenes labklājības ministrijas 2017. gada monogrāfija Indija cīnās ar tropušu Ir papildu Indijai raksturīgi ieteikumi kāpuru avota kontrolei. Tajos ietilpst izmesto kokosriekstu čaumalu noņemšana, gaisa dzesētāju tīrīšana un zāles neizmantošana gaisa dzesētājos jaunu sezonu. Indijas akreditētais sociālās veselības aktīvistu (ASHA) tīkls varētu palīdzēt šīs vadlīnijas pārvērst reālas pārmaiņas mājās un kopienās.
Deli sabiedrības veselības kampaņa, ko atbalsta Indijas valdības aģentūras, nodrošina modeli citām Indijas pilsētām. Izsauca noteikums par 10 – “10 nedēļas, 10:00, 10 minūtes,” tas pastiprina kāpuru avota samazināšanu kā galveno stratēģiju. Tas mudina katru dzīvojamo ēku labklājības asociāciju mobilizēt katru mājsaimniecību, lai katru svētdienu 10 nedēļas no septembra līdz novembrim atceltu 10 minūtes pulksten 10:00. Mērķis ir atrast un novērst stagnējoša ūdens avotus šajā augsta riska sezonā.
Vietējā uz nacionālo rīcību
Municipal corporations and resident welfare associations should stop relying solely on fogging. Instead, they should focus on reducing the larval load, and fogging should be used as a tactic only during outbreaks. Local experts can help by reinforcing the basic “bottom-up” approach. This includes educating people about effective and affordable personal repellents and reinforcing full-body clothing in September-November. Urban dwellers need education about stagnant water around indoor plants, flower vases, and sinks.
The global gold standard DEET is hard to find in Indian markets. This is likely due to consumer choice based on misinformation. Misleading “natural” and “deet-free” products are flooding Indian consumers in Indian stores. We urgently need education to combat the unfounded fear of deet. Effective natural/nature-inspired repellents like Picaridin, PMD, IR3535 and 2-Undecanone are also not available in India. There is an unmet need in the Indian market for such proven products.
Materials coated with delayed-release transfluthrin are now gaining traction. These “spatial emanators,” like jute sheets, provide 15 days of long-lasting protection in residential areas. There’s no need to turn on the vaporizer every night if they’re used. A landmark study from Peru showed that these emanators reduced the risk of ABVD by an impressive 34%. Wolbachia mosquitoes are already being used in 15 countries with successful results . In India, top-down initiatives are needed to explore, validate, and reduce the costs of these innovations.
Using a top-down and bottom-up strategy, we can create a 100-200 meter safe zone around all of us. We need to lift the fog of outdated practices and reclaim our homes from this persistent threat.
In the area
(Dr. Srinivas R Mummadi is a Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician based in Hyderabad, India. M.Srinivasreddy@gmail.com)
Published – September 12, 2025 06:00 IST
