Materia Medica Malaysiana

Fogging not answer to dengue control

Contrary to popular belief, fogging is not the answer to the country’s dengue woes.
This is because fogging only kills adult Aedes mosquitoes but leaves the larvae untouched, said the director of the Health Ministry’s Communicable Disease Control Division, Dr Ramlee Rahmat, here today.
"People think fogging is the solution and that once an area is fogged, they are safe from the virus. But they are not if someone in the area is already infected," he said. "Fogging is not the answer to dengue control."
Yesterday, Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Isa Samad said 58 cases of dengue fever were reported in the capital city since Jan 1. The cases were detected in Setapak (19), Kepong (15), Cheras (12), the town centre (eight), Old Klang Road (three) and one in Damansara.
He said local authorities would organise awareness and "gotong-royong" campaigns beginning in Cheras on Saturday before launching them nationally. Dr Ramlee said that according to scientists, Aedes mosquitoes could become immune to chemicals used in fogging. If that happened, then the chemical composition would need to be changed so that fogging could be effective.
"Entomologists constantly check whether fogging done in a particular location was effective after it has been carried out," he said. At the moment, fogging could still be used, but Dr Ramlee reminded the public that it was not a solution.