Delhi Government Considers Chinese Proposal to Fight Dengue

Delhi government is considering a Chinese proposal to completely eradicate the dengue-causing mosquitoes, sources said.

The proposal plans to mate genetically-modified mosquitoes with dengue-causing female members of the same species to "root out" the threat of the vector-borne disease.

The disease has claimed over 40 lives in the national capital this year.

According to the source, a team of Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC), headed by its vice-chairman Ashish Khetan, will visit southern China's Guangzhou province soon to analyze the experiment's "success" at the ground level.

"There has been nearly 90% decrease in the number of dengue carrier mosquitoes as per the Chinese experience. Those scientists have sent us a very detailed proposal to implement the same in Delhi," Khetan said.

Khetan said a research team is being constituted to deliberate on the proposal in detail before they head out to China. "We will decide our next course of action after all these deliberations."

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal promised financial assistance to the initiative. "CM has ordered the commission to take all steps to root out dengue. We are talking to scientists across the world regarding various such experimentations so that dengue does not occur next year," Khetan said.



Source: Medindia