Picture by Khairy
KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIAN Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) has drawn a long-term environmental plan to fight against dengue.
In collaboration with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) and Entogenex Industries Bhd (Entogenex), MRCB has taken a step further by being the first to use Mousticide, a non-toxic and biodegradable biolarvicide to combat dengue.
MRCB’s managing director Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh said KL Sentral and Brickfields would be first to participate in the anti-dengue programme.
Salim said the function of Mousticide was to kill mosquito larvae. The product contains two natural active ingredients — the TMOF protein and Bti bacteria that work together to enhance the larvacide effect 100-fold.
“This is a safe product that is harmless to the environment as well as the public. We want to ensure that the entire KL Sentral and Brickfields area is dengue-free.
“It is a long way to achieve this, and MRCB is taking it one step at a time. Once the area is free of dengue, we will move onto the next location. A special task team will be monitoring the process of the application,” he told a press conference held at MRCB’s office in KL Sentral, recently.
He said the programme is also in line with their corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Mosti Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin, who witnessed the launched of the product, encouraged other private and public companies as well as the public to use Mousticide as it will help to eradicate mosquito larvae.
“MRCB’s initiative signifies a milestone and through the partnership with corporate sectors, we are able to achieve our goals in sustaining the environment in the country.”
He said EntoGenex is a biotechnology company that is dedicated to create and implement solutions to eliminate mosquito borne diseases.
EntoGenex is supported by Mosti and is envisioned to develop natural and sustainable solutions that are safer and more effective than toxic chemicals, he said.
EntoGenex founder and director Marcus Francis said the challenge of mosquito control lies in controlling of their reproduction.
“It is easy to use. All you need to do is just sprinkle the Mousticide in breeding areas. Larvae dies within one to six hours after the application is applied and the product lasts up to three weeks.
“We have received positive response from several countries such as Singapore, United States and Sri Lanka. However, Mousticide will be applied in three locations in the Klang Valley and in Kelantan.
“The product is designed for indoor and outdoor use. It was created using the mosquito DNA where it will be eaten by the larvae after being applied. This will suppress its digestive system and kill the larvaes before they mature,” he said, adding that the application was used in Taman Sri Gombak and Setapak, in 2010.
He said after five months of monitoring the areas, no new case was reported.
He said the product comes in two formulations — rice husk (granules) and powdered. He said the Mousticide rice husk is applicable for domestic use and can be applied directly by hand into larvae breeding sites.
The powdered form is used for large-scale purposes and can be applied by vehicles with mounted sprayers.