Dengue's worst enemy planted in Mohali water bodies

MOHALI: Gambusia the Mosquito Killer was released in the water bodies of this district's villages. This fish will eat up vector larvae to contain malaria and dengue fever in this infectious season of rains. The health department has planted this fish in 18 water bodies of the villages of Boothgarh block. Senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Dilbagh Singh said: "Gambusia will not only prevent vector-borne diseases but also maintain ecological balance.We will release this fish into more water bodies shortly."
The SMO also said: “Biocontrol measures are a lot easier to introduce in villages. The breeding of gambusia has checked mosquito breeding effectively. The species is also called mosquitofish because it also feeds on larvae. In 86 more 'hotspots' in the district's villages and towns, we will release this fish in open wells and water bodies. An adult gambusia eats up 150 larvae in a day."
Mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti, which carry the virus of dengue fever, breed in clear water. "Bred at the health department's office, the fish is fed rice husk and groundnut-oil cakes," said health inspector Gurtej Singh. He said an adult mosquitofish can eat up to 150 mosquito larvae in 8 hour, which makes it such an excellent biological tool for mosquito control.
The fish consume the larvae before they have a chance to develop into adult mosquitoes. Gambusia can be collected from the fish seed farms. The health department is releasing it into stagnant water.