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PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR CSIR-800 SOCIETAL PROGRAM

USING GAMBUSIA SP. AS

A BIOCONTROL AGENT TO PREVENT MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES

Presented by

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ANGSHUMAN MURMU

ANANYA MONDAL

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CSIR-INDIAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL BIOLOGY

10BB22J17010

10BB22A17018

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INTRODUCTION

  • Mosquitoes transmit some of the world’s worst life threatening and debilitating parasitic and viral diseases including malaria, filariasis and dengue fever, encephalitis , equine infectious anaemia , yellow fever.

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  • Chemical and biological approaches have been currently employed in mosquito control in different parts of the world.

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  • Chemical insecticides was the most popular solution for mosquito problem in the earlier days but higher doses of chemical insecticides have adverse environmental consequences to non-target organisms.

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  • The use of larvivorous fishes is presently the most popular biological method for reducing mosquito larvae population and more than 253 fish species have been considered for mosquito biocontrol throughout the world.

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  • Larvivorous fish are those that feed on immature stages of mosquitoes.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF LARVIVOROUS FISH

  • Should be small in size to survive in shallow water.
  • Should be surface feeders and carnivorous.
  • Should be able to survive in the absence of mosquito larvae.
  • Should be easy to rear.
  • Should be able to withstand a wide range of temperature and light intensity.
  • Should be hardy and able to withstand transport and handling.
  • Should be insignificant / useless as food for other predator.

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CATEGORIZATION OF LARVIVOROUS FISH

  • Typical surface feeders such as Aplochelius and Gambusia, which fulfill the characteristic features of larvivorous fish.
  • Sub-surface feeders like Amblypharyngodonmola, Danio, Rasbora, etc.
  • Column feeders like Puntius sp., Colisa sp, Chanda sp, Anabas sp etc. which feed on mosquito larvae when chance permits.
  • Fry of carps and mullets, which are helpful in controlling mosquito larvae
  • Predatory fishes like Wallago, Channa, Notopterus and Mystus whose fry may destroy mosquito larvae but whose adults may predate upon other fish including larvicidal fish species.

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CLASSIFICATION

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STOCKING RATE OF MOSQUITO FISH

POND SIZE

VERY LARGE (4000m2)

BIG

(2000m2)

AVERAGE (1000m2)

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SMALL

(250m2)

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NO. OF FISH

100

40-50

30

20

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Gambusia is a surface feeder, hence it is suitable for feeding on both anophelines and culicines.

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  • A single full grown fish eats about 100 to 300 mosquito larvae per day.

  • It frequents the margins of the water container, pond or other ground water collections, except where there is dense vegetation at the margins of the water body.
  • Low cost handling.

  • It is small and inedible.

  • It can tolerate salinity

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  • It can withstand transportation and does not require any specialized equipment or containers.

  • It survives in new places (water bodies) and multiplies easily. After release when it becomes well established in a water body, the fish can survive in good numbers for years and does not require constant care.

WHY GAMBUSIA SP.

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CONCLUSION

Therefore, this method of controlling mosquitoes contribute a lot of beneficial effects to us especially to the major problems which involve mosquitoes harmful effects to humans such as:

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1.Nuisance mosquitoes: bother people around homes or in parks and creational areas. (Gkenas et al.,2012).

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2.Economically important: mosquitoes reduce real estate values, adversely affect tourism and related business interests, or negatively impact livestock or poultry production.(Robert, et al., 2013).

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3.Public health: is the focus when mosquitoes are vectors, or transmitters, of infectious disease such as dengue, malaria etc.

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