While Dengue has spread across the country, the government’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) cannot find Aedes mosquitoes.
The institution was sent sample of Dhaka South City Corporation’s mosquito repellent for testing but the delay in giving result is reportedly due to the failure in finding Aedes mosquitoes.
With the recent rise of Dengue patients residents of Dhaka have become suspicious of the efficacy of the mosquito repellent used by the city corporations.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor also claimed that the mosquito repellent in use is not one hundred percent effective. Amidst suspicion, samples of it were sent to IEDCR for testing. After this, it will be sent to World Health Organisation (WHO) for approval. Once the nod comes from WHO, this will be used.
However, the IEDCR could not give the results as yet. DSCC’s procurement officer, Liaqat Hossain, told Bangla Tribune: “We sent the medicines to IEDCR at the end of last week and since they have not sent back the results, we cannot be certain of the medicine’s capability.”
Medicines are usually tested on Culex mosquitoes but since there is a rise of Dengue, we asked for the test to be done on Aedes mosquitoes; however, IEDCR has said that they cannot find Aedes mosquitoes and wanted one week.
Chief Coordinator of the institute, Brigadier General Dr Md Sharif Ahemd, said: “We also sent samples to the agriculture department and their tests found the medicines to be effective.”
Professor of epidemiology of Jahangirnagar University, Kabirul Bashir said: “Culex mosquitoes live longer than Aedes mosquitoes; if a repellent works on Culex then it will certainly work on Aedes mosquitoes, but tests need to be done on both.”