Chemical drugs struggle to achieve optimal mosquito control

Xinhua News Agency, London, December 14 - A latest study released by the University of East Anglia in the UK shows that mosquitoes play an important role in transmitting multiple viruses, but for a long time the effectiveness of controlling mosquito populations through chemical means such as insecticides has not been obvious, and sometimes it may even be counterproductive.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia reported in the US journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that they analyzed multiple past studies on mosquito population control. The current mosquito control measures used in various places mainly include: biological methods, namely introducing organisms such as crustaceans and fish that feed on mosquito larvae into ponds; chemical methods such as spraying insecticides; and guiding the public through community outreach to avoid mosquito breeding, such as eliminating water accumulation points.

The report said that overall these studies failed to provide substantial evidence that the use of chemical drugs can ultimately reduce mosquito populations; biological methods showed a slightly better mosquito-killing effect than chemical methods, but there is still a lack of clear evidence to prove that this method can effectively control mosquito populations.

One of the report's authors, Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia, pointed out that in fact some evidence shows that spraying chemical drugs may be counterproductive, leading people to mistakenly believe that using insecticides can ensure they are not attacked by mosquitoes, thereby neglecting other preventive measures.

Controlling mosquito populations helps suppress the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses such as Zika virus and dengue virus. Currently, the World Health Organization recommends adopting comprehensive measures to control mosquito populations, encouraging community residents to maintain environmental hygiene and eliminate the appearance of places prone to breeding mosquitoes. (Reporter Zhang Jiawei)