NILAI, Negeri Sembilan recorded a cumulative 2,824 dengue cases up to the 17th epidemiological week (ME17) this year, compared with 1,032 cases for the same period last year. State Health, Unity, Information, National Integration and Non-Governmental Organisations Committee chairman Tengku Zamrah Tengku Sulaiman said that using Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquitoes is seen as a proactive measure to curb the spike in dengue cases in the state. She said it uses biological prevention methods, and does not have an impact on human health. 'This method also does not involve the genetic modification of mosquitoes, and does not change the composition of mosquitoes in the natural ecosystem,' she said, at the release of the Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquito programme, at the Zone A locality of Desa Anggerik, Nilai, today. She said Zone A Desa Anggerik is the first locality in the state, selected based on several factors set by the Ministry of Health (MOH), which include number of dengue fever cases, frequency of outb reaks and the high density of Aedes mosquitoes. Meanwhile, state health director Datuk Dr Harlina Abd Rashid said Negeri Sembilan was selected to expand the Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquito release project for the fourth phase of this year. 'To reduce dependence on chemical-based insecticides, the method of releasing Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquitoes is seen as a good complementary strategy for dengue vector prevention and control,' she said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency
