Aedes Borne Viral Disease
Why it Matters?
Aedes-borne diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya persist due to ineffective outdoor fumigation. Effective control needs personal protection, repellents, clothing, and community mobilisation for larval source reduction. New strategies include Wolbachia mosquitoes, delayed-release repellents, and integrated top-down and bottom-up approaches.
What You Should Know?
Aedes mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, are vectors of several viral diseases including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, rift valley fever and yellow fever.
These mosquitoes bite during the day and also under artificial light at night.
They breed in clean stagnant water such as containers, tyres, coconut shells, and air coolers.
Dengue is caused by four serotypes of the dengue virus and can lead to hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome.
Chikungunya causes fever with severe joint pain that may last for months.
Zika virus infection is mild but can cause microcephaly and birth defects in newborns.
Yellow fever is not reported in India but is globally significant; it is preventable by vaccine.
Outdoor fumigation and fogging are ineffective against Aedes.
Innovative Strategies to deal with Aedes:
Wolbachia mosquitoes: suppress mosquito populations or block transmission; cost and approval remain challenges in India.
Spatial emanators (materials coated with transfluthrin): provide 15 days of protection; Peru study showed 34% risk reduction.
Nanomaterial-coated repellents and delayed-release technologies are promising but not widely available in India.