Extending further the benefits of the mosquito ovicidal-larvicidal (OL) trap, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo committed to President Benigno Aquino III to make the OL trap available to all public school classrooms in the country by August this year. The move is expected to further reduce the number of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in the country.
Experts note that the Aedes Aegypti mosquito which carries the dengue virus is highly attracted to sweat-soaked skin, making children easy target to this low-flying mosquito. Data have shown that a large fraction of dengue cases involve children.
The OL trap is a simple, low technology tool that attracts female mosquitoes to lay their eggs on the soaked lawanit strip inside the container. The black color of the container and the use of organic material in the trap pellets serve as strong attractants to mosquitoes.
“An OL trap for every classroom will not only help curb the number of dengue cases but will also increase awareness on the threat of dengue and on the use of OL trap as one of the potent solutions to address dengue, especially among schoolchildren, “ according to DOST Sec. Mario Montejo.
Based on laboratory and field tests, the DOST-developed OL trap has been proven effective in bringing down the number of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in the country. The latest test results in Samar and Leyte show that the OL trap attracted more mosquitoes than any other container.
In a Memorandum of Agreement, DOST partners with the Department of Health to fight dengue through the national roll out of the Mosquito Ovicidal/ Larvicidal Trap system. In the partnership, DOST produce the OL trap while the DOH and the LGUs distribute and identify household beneficiaries, respectively.
The OL trap is one of the multi-pronged government solutions in fighting dengue in the country. Framelia V. Anonas, S&T Media Service
