Dengue threat :

Discarded receptacles, most common breeding source

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

A Health Ministry entomological survey during the first quarter of this year in all nine provinces on three types of dengue mosquito breeding sites found that discarded receptacles are the most common breeding source of the dengue mosquito, a ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, in the Western Province, 46 percent of dengue mosquitoes breed in discarded receptacles.

The survey found only 15 natural places of dengue mosquito breeding sites in the Western Province. Eleven percent of dengue mosquitoes were found breeding in water storage containers, he said. Discarded receptacles were the highest dengue mosquito breeding source in the Eastern Province (43 percent), Sabaragamuva Province (51 percent), Southern Province ( 30 percent), North Western Province ( 40 percent), Central Province ( 52 percent), Northern Province (29 percent) and Uva Province ( 39 percent), he said. In the Uva Province, 49 percent of dengue mosquito breeding grounds were cement water storage tanks. It was 44 percent in the Northern Province. Tyres were the other most common dengue mosquito breeding source found in all nine provinces, the spokesman said.