Dengue outbreak: DSCC begins testing new insecticide

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has begun testing a new type of insecticide to curb the mosquito population.

A test was carried out in a room at the DSCC building on Friday. The new type of insecticide, called Aqua K-Othrine which contains 2% deltamethrin, was bought from international pharmaceuticals company Bayer Corporation.

For the test, the medicine was sprayed in three separate boxes with 50 mosquitoes. After half an hour, 14 mosquitoes died in the first box, 13 in the second box and 9 in the last one, which means 26%, 22% and 9% of the mosquitoes were dead respectively in those boxes. 

But, the actual potency of the medicine can be completely assessed after 24 hours, said the representative of the company.

DSCC Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Sharif Ahmed, Chief Stalk Purchase Officer Md Nurujjaman and Disease Control and Research Officer Nur-E-Jahan Shashi were present when test was launched. 

Meanwhile, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Friday launched a program to curb Aedis mosquito population in homes and other buildings.

“We will definitely make Dhaka City free of mosquitoes. Only awareness and social movement are needed to achieve this goal. Water cannot be kept for more than three days in homes, offices, and religious institutions,” he told the media.