Frogs and fishes are not “scientific solutions” to combat dengue-carrying mosquitoes, three government agencies said on Sunday, July 24.
The departments of Health (DOH), Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), issued the joint statement amid the rising number of dengue cases in the country.
“Scientific solutions can solve complex problems like dengue,” the agencies said.
“Releasing invasive species of frogs and fish is not the scientific solution," they added.
Such moves may cause more dangers to human health and to the environment, the agencies said.
“To do so would risk human health, and may also destroy ecological balance leading to other worse problems in the natural environment, like issues in food supply,” they said.
The agencies noted that dengue is caused by a virus that is transmitted through a vector, which is the aedes aegypti mosquito. They emphasized the importance of the 4s strategy.
“The main solution to the dengue problem is vector control, that is, to destroy the breeding grounds of these mosquitoes,” they said.
“We all know the solutions: search and destroy breeding places (stagnant water and its containers). Use self protection. Do not delay when sick, seek early consultation. Where there is an outbreak, support fogging,” they added.
As of July 2, the DOH already recorded a total of 65,190 dengue cases nationwide. The figure is 83 percent higher compared to the 35,715 dengue cases recorded during the same period last year.