BRIN Uses Mandul Bugs' Technique To Suppress Mosquito Population Causes DHF

BRIN researchers in Jakarta monitor the mosquitoes that cause dengue fever that has been developed, Wednesday (25/10/2023). (ANTARA/Muzdaffar Fauzan)

JAKARTA - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) applies a sterile insect (TSM) technique in the Aedes Aegypti mosquito to suppress the population that causes dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). "The goal is that the population of DHF mosquitoes can be suppressed to a safe limit," said Research Center for Research on BRIN Nuclear Energy Organization Radiation Process Research Beni Ernawan in Jakarta, Wednesday. He explained the method used in TSM to utilize exposure to Cobalt 60 gamma radiation and Cesium which was exposed when the DHD mosquito was in the pupa phase. The main target of this technique is to guide the male mosquito Aedes Aegypti so that despite mating, the female egg cannot hatch. He said one of the main weaknesses of this technique the competitiveness of marriage (matching competitiveness) decreases compared to the normal male (nonirradiation) "Nyamuk male sterile who is exposed to gamma rays, its lifetime, and the competitiveness of marriage" he said.

Ia mengatakan, kekurangan tersebut dapat diatasi dengan mekanisme penyebaran nyamuk DBD yang dimandulkan dengan konsep pembanjiran populasi (overflooding ratio) dari populasi nyamuk DBD biasa di wilayah tersebut.Hal tersebut bertujuan meningkatkan potensi nyamuk DBD jantan mandul untuk bersaing dengan jantan normal untuk mengawini betina di alam liar.Kementerian Kesehatan mencatat hingga Oktober 2023 terdapat 68.996 kasus DBDdengan kasus kematian 498 jiwa.Sebanyak 68 ribu lebih kasus tersebut dilaporkan terjadi di 464 kabupaten/kota di 34 provinsi, sedangkan kasus kematian akibat virus dengue terjadi di 195 kabupaten/kota di 32 provinsi.