Kay and John Aaskov of Queensland University of Technology are using a microscopic shrimp called a copepod to feed on the mosquito larvae which breeds in drinking water. However, the success of the project hinges on the participation of villagers in maintaining high levels of the little predator and in recycling old tyres and other rubbish which otherwise become mosquito breeding grounds, Kay said. His report on the successful eradication in a village of 400 people about 30 km from Hanoi has been published in the journal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. The project has now expanded to cover 11,000 households in three provinces. Kay said it appeared to have reduced the incidence of dengue fever this season.
Negotiations are now underway to use the copepod technique in Laos and Cambodia as well.
Aaskov said he was developing a cheap diagnostic test for dengue which could eventually be manufactured locally.