According to an Orang Asli in Kampung Dusun Kubur, “Fatal Attraction” has helped reduce the number of mosquitoes and the bites that come with it.
Scientists from Universiti Malaya have invented a one-of-a-kind coil that attracts and then kill the mosquitoes. Unlike the conventional mosquito coil, which drives the insects away, this one helps reduce the population of the blood-sucking pests.
After a try-out within the village, the people have given the coil a thumbs up for its effectiveness. “Now, we can sit outside our house in the evening and at night without being bitten all over,” said 70 year-old Tok Batin Kalimoi, who is the Temuan village head.
Believed to have the same kind of characteristics to human sweat, this ingenious coil is laced with attracticidal plant-based semio chemicals or pheromone-like compounds, which attract these insects in their breeding areas. And once the insecticide is released, it also kills them.
The residents of this village received a year’s supply of the coil UM vice-chancellor for research and innovation, Prof Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud during a simple ceremony that was held last week. Each household also received a pair of special ceramic pot and coil holder.
Dr Awang advised villagers to burn the 12-hour coils at night and put it in the given pot and holder, and this can be used safely outdoors. The next step is to encourage the villagers to get involved with manufacturing the coil holder and he also added that the reason this village was chosen is because of its nearby location to the university’s Biotechnology Education Centre.
Having done his research for five years, the project lead scientist virologist Prof Sazaly Abu Bakar said that by using the coil, it could help reduce the mosquito population. “This is important, especially in areas with high vegetation where complete elimination of trapped water is difficult to achieve,” said Sazaly, quoting a Health Ministry report, which said that dengue has taken over 75 lives and infected above 38, 000 Malaysians this year alone.
He also stated that the coil would only kill mosquitoes in its immediate surrounding and not colonies further away. He is also hoping for this innovative technology to be used throughout the country, especially the areas with higher dengue risks.
