Much has been said and experienced about chikungunya in a very short period. The reason being that it is of national and international concern. Research on this mosquito has consequently turned into a serious issue. It is expected that a vaccine could be developed. Whether it will be in the short or long term is uncertain, as not enough investment is being funded into the research.

The primary feature of this disease is that it is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. However, the Pasteur Institute in Paris claims that the virus has suffered a mutation which enables it to be transmitted by Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito). It is this mosquito, which has caused the recent plague in the Indian Ocean, starting in Reunion Island, spreading to Mauritius and the surrounding countries, and even constituting a threat to the Mediterranean coast.

Although considered not fatal, chikungunya has nevertheless caused hundreds of deaths in Reunion Island. In Mauritius it has indirectly proved to be a killer. It is feared that, with the hot summer season approaching, this epidemic may recommence. Fogging tools are ready to be removed from storerooms and the nationwide fight against the mosquito will begin again. This cycle will continue year in and year out!

A substantial investment has already been made along these lines. Moreover, the population has been continuously advised to clean their premises and almost everybody is aware of the areas where the mosquito will find favourable breeding grounds for proliferation. Nevertheless the big question is whether this is the right way to get rid of the mosquito.

It has been said that the female will fly quite some distance when the time has come to lay her eggs. Sooner or later she will, instinctively, find a favourable standing water, foul water or water in particular containers for breeding. This means that the mosquito will always be present in the environment waiting to cause havoc.

On the other hand when the fogging equipment is in operation, it will destroy all insects whether noxious or harmless. However, we must be careful because many of these insects are useful for the pollination of our fruit trees. Among them are bees, wasps, ants, etc. The authorities should carefully consider devising another way to get rid of the aedes albopictus mosquito.

My simple suggestion is to attract the mosquito to their ideal breeding grounds, which should be easily accessible to them for laying eggs. Tyres and small cans could be set in the corners of our premises. The mosquito will not have to fly away to remote unknown places and thus can be easily destroyed regularly just by cleaning the containers used as traps. Similar to the way fruit flies are being controlled by sterilisation and attracting solution, the chikungunya-carrier mosquito can probably be controlled in the same manner.

This may be an easy, simple and inexpensive way of controlling the mosquito population without harming the environment – an environment-friendly method. What do the authorities think about this small, simple and easy solution to a big, dangerous problem? It will cost almost nothing in the application of this controlled system to minimise the effect of chikungunya. Fogging should be restricted to non-residential areas.

<I>Source: Wikipedia free encyclopedia </I> <B>C. R. Samboo</B>