Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Cuba gifts bacillus to control dengue and leptospirosis
By Sandun A. Jayasekera
A stock of 30,000 litres of Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelenesis (BTI) to control dengue and leptospirosis will arrive from Cuba by the end of January, a spokesman of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry said yesterday.
?The BTI stock is coming as a donation from Cuba to Sri Lanka, and the bacteria will be used for the first time in Sri Lanka to control dengue and leptospirosis, said ministry spokesman W.M.D.Wanninayaka.
The bacteria will be first used as a pilot project in Kandy, Akurana and Gampola. Arrangements have been made to spray BTI from the air using Air Force helicopters. Cabinet has already approved Rs. 200 million for the purpose, said Mr. Wanninayaka.
The bacteria will also be used to destroy rodents, which are the main source of leptospirosis, he said.
Health authorities are worried about the possibility of dengue spreading to epidemic proportions this year and claiming more victims. There were 334 dengue related deaths and 33,081 reported cases of dengue up to yesterday according to the Government Epidemiology Unit.
Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva had got down two epidemiologists from Cuba to conduct a study on the use of BTI last year. They had recommended air spraying of BTI as a tried and tested method to control rapidly spreading dengue, said Wanninayaka.
He said there was a slight delay in importing the stock of BTI as it needed Agriculture Ministry approval. Many countries do not use it as a pest or vector control method.
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=72531
By Sandun A. Jayasekera
A stock of 30,000 litres of Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelenesis (BTI) to control dengue and leptospirosis will arrive from Cuba by the end of January, a spokesman of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry said yesterday.
?The BTI stock is coming as a donation from Cuba to Sri Lanka, and the bacteria will be used for the first time in Sri Lanka to control dengue and leptospirosis, said ministry spokesman W.M.D.Wanninayaka.
The bacteria will be first used as a pilot project in Kandy, Akurana and Gampola. Arrangements have been made to spray BTI from the air using Air Force helicopters. Cabinet has already approved Rs. 200 million for the purpose, said Mr. Wanninayaka.
The bacteria will also be used to destroy rodents, which are the main source of leptospirosis, he said.
Health authorities are worried about the possibility of dengue spreading to epidemic proportions this year and claiming more victims. There were 334 dengue related deaths and 33,081 reported cases of dengue up to yesterday according to the Government Epidemiology Unit.
Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva had got down two epidemiologists from Cuba to conduct a study on the use of BTI last year. They had recommended air spraying of BTI as a tried and tested method to control rapidly spreading dengue, said Wanninayaka.
He said there was a slight delay in importing the stock of BTI as it needed Agriculture Ministry approval. Many countries do not use it as a pest or vector control method.
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=72531