[01] Muhammad Sarwar, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture & Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

Dengue is an infection that is carried by Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and can cause severe disease in peoples living in tropics. It is capable to cause headaches, pain and rash, and in other harsh types, may cause internal bleeding and then mortality of the patient. Currently, there is no vaccine for the treatment of dengue sickness and the most widely used methods for control of disease carrier Aedes mosquitoes are certain insecticides. These insecticides sometimes can harm the environment as well as peoples. For this reason, scientists are looking for better ways to prevent the spread of dengue disease by control of Aedes vector mosquitoes. Biological control of disease carrier Aedes mosquitoes is a suitable approach in Integrated Vector Management (IVM) program. Therefore, taking this objective into consideration, a broad biological control schedule is formulated based on the calendar of disease and vector’s profile. The natural enemies of Aedes mosquitoes take part in a vital task to limit their densities in an area. Such natural enemies consist of predators, parasitoids and pathogens. Biological control of dengue carrier mosquitoes can be augmented by means of maintenance of existing natural enemies, establishing new natural enemies and setting up a permanent population, and mass culturing and intervallic release of natural enemies, whichever may be on a seasonal basis or else inundatively. Thus, when non-toxic biological control method is found to control a key vector, the reduced use of pesticides and increased survival of natural enemies frequently reduce the transmission of important mosquito’s borne diseases in the community.

Dengue, Mosquito, Biological Control, Predators, Parasitoids, Pathogens

[01] Alves, S.B., Alves, L.F.A., Lopes, R.B., Pereira, R.M. and Vieira, S.A. 2002. Potential of Some Metarhizium anisopliae Isolates for Control of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera, Culicidae). Journal of Applied Entomology, 126: 504-509. [02] Bowatte, G., Perera, P., Seneviratne, G., Meegaskumbura, S. and Meegaskumbura, M. 2013. Tadpoles as dengue mosquito (Aedes aegypti) egg predators. Biological Control, 67 (3): 469-474. [03] DeBach, P. 1991. Biological control by natural enemies. 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press. [04] Farenhorst, M., Knols, B.G.J., Thomas, M.B., Howard, A.F.V., Takken, W., Rowland, M. and N’Guessan, R. 2010. Synergy in Efficacy of Fungal Entomopathogens and Permethrin against West African Pyrethroid-Resistant Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes. PLOS, 5, e12081. [05] Hancock, P.A., Thomas, M.B. and Godray, H.C.J. 2009. An Age-Structured Model to Evaluate the Potential of Novel Malaria-Control Interventions: A Case Study of Fungal Biopesticide Sprays. Proceedings of the Royal Society B., 276: 71-80. [06] John, C.B., Daved, C., Anna, C.B., Nora, M.C. and Dawn, M.W. 1995. Country Wide Prevalence of Ascogregarina culicis (Apicomplexa: Lecudinidae), A Protozoan Parasite of Aedes aegypti in Trinidad, West Indies. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 11 (4): 419-423. [07] Jose, L.R., Sarah, M.S., Ana, C.B., Raul, G.S., Yuemei, D., Seokyoung, K., Abhai, T., Godfree, M. and George, D. 2014. Chromobacterium Csp_P Reduces Malaria and Dengue Infection in Vector Mosquitoes and Has Entomopathogenic and In Vitro Anti-pathogen Activities. PLOS Pathogens, October 23, 2014. [08] Martinez-Ibarra, J.A., Guillen, Y.G., Arredondo-Jimenez, J.I. and Rodriguez-Lopez, M.H. 2002. Indigenous fish species for the control of Aedes aegypti in water storage tanks in Southern Mexico. BioControl, 47: 481-486. [09] McMeniman, C.J., Lane, R.V., Cass, B.N., Fong, A.W., Sidhu, M., Wang, Y.F. and O'Neill, S.L. 2009. Stable introduction of a life-shortening Wolbachia infection into the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Science, 323: 141-144. [10] Nathan, J.D., Natapong, J. and George, D. 2014. The mosquito microbiota influences vector competence for human pathogens. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 3: 6-13. [11] Neng, W., Shusen, W., Guangxin, H., Rongman, X., Guangkun, T. and Chen, Q. 1987. Control of Aedes aegypti larvae in household water containers by Chinese cat fish. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 65: 503-506. [12] Pamplona, L.D.G.C., Lima, J.W.D.L., Cunha, J.C.D.L. and Santana, E.W.D.P. 2004. Evaluation of the impact on Aedes aegypti infestation in cement tanks of the Municipal District of Caninde, Ceara, Brazil after using Betta splendens fish as alternative biological control. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, 37: 400-404. [13] Paula, A.R., Carolino, A.T., Paula, C.O. and Samuels, R.I. 2010. The Combination of the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae with the Insecticide Imidacloprid Increases Virulence against the Dengue Vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Parasites and Vectors, 4. [14] Sarwar, M. 2014 a. Dengue Fever as a Continuing Threat in Tropical and Subtropical Regions around the World and Strategy for Its Control and Prevention. Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicological Studies, 2 (2): 1-6. [15] Sarwar, M. 2014 b. Proposing Solutions for the Control of Dengue Fever Virus Carrying Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse). Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicological Studies, 2 (1): 1-6. [16] Sarwar, M. 2014 c. Proposals for the Control of Principal Dengue Fever Virus Transmitter Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2 (2): 24-28. [17] Sarwar, M. 2014 d. Defeating Malaria with Preventative Treatment of Disease and Deterrent Measures against Anopheline Vectors (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicological Studies, 2 (4): 1-6. [18] Sarwar, M. 2013. Management of Spider Mite Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) (Tetranychidae) Infestation in Cotton by Releasing the Predatory Mite Neoseiulus pseudolongispinosus (Xin, Liang and Ke) (Phytoseiidae). Biological Control, 65 (1): 37-42. [19] Scholte, E.J., Knols, B.G.J., Samson, R.A. and Takken, W. 2004. Entomopathogenic Fungi for Mosquito Control: A Review. Journal of Insect Science, 4. [20] Van Driesche, R.G. and Bellows, T.S.J. 1996. Biological Control. Chapman & Hall. International Thomson Publishing Co. [21] World Health Organisation (WHO). 2011. Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. p. 196.