BHUBANESWAR: With the cases of dengue showing a rising trend in Odisha, noted biotechnologist Prof Govindarajan Padmanaban has recommended the State Government to focus more on vector reduction instead of vaccination.Senior Science and Innovation Advisor of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) Prof Padmanaban said population of mosquitoes causing dengue and malaria can be brought down by using biological route.
Mosquitoes carry a bacteria called Wolbachia which can be found in around 60 per cent of insect species, including some types of mosquitoes causing the vector-borne diseases. “Wolbachia, however, is not usually found in Aedes aegypti mosquito that is responsible for dengue. But, artificially infecting an Aedes population with Wolbachia reduces the ability of mosquitoes to transmit dengue (and other diseases) to humans,” he said.
“Since dengue virus is not a stable one and there is possibility of mutation of genes, how many vaccines can we make. One vaccine worked this year may not work next year. Bringing down the vector and mosquito population should be given priority. That is the best way. If you take away the vector you do not transmit the disease,” the biochemist said.
He also suggested similar technique to bring down the population of malaria causing mosquito species Anopheles. “We can make sure that the mosquitoes are cultivated with Wolbachia and released in the environment. It does not have to be done in massive scale as it can be introduced locally,” Padmanaban said.
The former director of Indian Institute of Science also suggested Odisha to take up plantation of Vitamin A rich banana and provide it to school children through Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme. Many children go blind because of Vitamin A deficiency. Mohali-based National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) has developed the plant with the help gene-editing technology. But Punjab does not grow it. Odisha should grow Vitamin A rich banana and provide one banana to each child every day. I feel this simple therapy will help control blindness,” he added.