Malaria control measure

Malaria Control Measures

Personal Prophylaxis -

• Regular use of mosquito nets.
• Use of fans at full speed.
• Use of full sleeves and trousers to cover the hand, legs during sleeping.
• Use of Mosquito repellent oils.
• Use of window screen, mosquito nets to cover doors and windows.
• Use of mosquito repellent coils and liquids and mosquito repellent plants helps ward off malaria.

Destruction of Larva/Anti-larval measures -

a)Use of Paris green

• Paris green is most commonly used for larval control. 1% Paris green is prepared by combining with road dust, ash powder, talc powder or charcoal powder.
• Dusting method of application is done on surface water.
• Paris green can be applied to paddy fields, slow running streams.
• The larva feeds on the Paris green and die.

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b)Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantage of oil usage is that both the larvae and pupae of mosquito are killed.

The disadvantages of oil usage :

• Repeated usage may hinder the vegetation growth
• Cannot be used on drinking water sources
• Small fishes in the water may be killed
• Strong winds can break the oil film

Destruction of Adult Mosquitoes:

This method is mostly used in house hold for killing adult mosquitos.

a)Pyrethrum spray

• Pyrethrum is prepared from dried flowers of Pyrethrum cinerarifolium plant.
• Pyrethrum extract can be prepared by distillation to give 1% or 2% extract.
• Mosquitoes get irritated and when they come into contact with suspended pyrethrum extract. This clogs their respiratory system and they die instantly due to suffocation.

Spraying on a systematic scale should be started before commencement of mosquito breeding and continued through out the malaria transmission season.

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b)DDT / Dichloro- Diphenyl -Trichlorethane:

• It is a crystalline coarse white powder with a pleasant apple like smell.
• It is a neurotoxic /nerve poison affecting the nervous system and has residual effect of up to 8 to 10 weeks.
• It is not harmful to humans if carefully handled.

c) Natural methods of controlling Mosquitoes:

Chemical methods :

• These methods are done to prevent breeding of mosquitoes and are done by altering the pH of the water by addition of organic substances.
• Fouling clean water by polluting it will sewage and industrial waste water.
• Increasing the salinity of water by adding sea water into fresh water.

Physical methods:

• Removing aquatic vegetation and allowing free water flow.
• Use of herbal plants which will eliminate breeding of mosquitoes.
• Using intermittent irrigation, so that water logging is prevented.

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Biological methods:

• Use of Larvivorous fishes which feed on mosquito larvae.
• Larvivorous fishes are used to control breeding of mosquitoes in wells and fresh waters.
• Gambusia affinis, is a good Larvivorous fish with the following features -

-It has a quick movement and can escape from its enemies

-It is a small fish which does not grow to a big size

-It has no edible value for human consumption

-It can thrive and acclimatized to any type of water

-It reproduces and multiplies in large numbers

Drug Prophylaxis for Malaria for Travellers

• Drugs like plasmoquine can destroy gametocyte of Plasmodium.
• Mass drug prophylaxis is used to protect from clinical manifestations of the disease.
• Plaudrine can be taken weekly once for prophylactic treatment while staying in endemic areas of malaria.