Fishing in troubled waters

Dismissed by a serious aquarist as too commonplace while much loved and embraced by an amateur, this hardy, humble, prolific breeder, the Guppy fish in a way may have saved Karnataka from Malaria.

Does this come as a surprise to you? On World Malaria Day, we will tell you the story. Field studies has proved the important role played by larvivorous fish in the control of malaria. Both Guppy and Gambusia fish have been successfully used in Karnataka to control malaria as these fishes feed on the larvae of malaria causing Anopheles mosquitoes says Dr. S.K.Ghosh, Head, Field Station Bangalore — National Institute of Malaria Research.

The field trials started in 1993-94 in certain high risk areas which were very successful.

“In 2009-2010, with support of  of Karnataka Health department, we took the project to the entire state. Today, the control of malaria is due to larvivorous fishes,” added Dr. S.K.Ghosh. The real story lies in how these fishes which are not native to India came to India especially to Bangalore.

It all began when a British Major Selvy suffered from mosquito bites heavily during his posting in India. This smart man, on his next trip to England came back with a lethal weapon in 1908. It was no time bomb or gun powder but the humble guppy, originally a native of the Caribbean. He let the Guppy breed in all the moats and water bodies surrounding the cantonments. Thus, came the Guppy to Bangalore which was also a cantonment town.

Well, Gambusia was brought to Bangalore in 1928 by Dr. B.A.Rao, a renowned malarial expert from Karnataka, from one of his trips abroad and he left it to breed in the Lalbagh tank. Gambusia, a native of Itlay was used at that time heavily in the control of Malaria in the west. Dr.S.K.Ghosh said, “Unlike Guppy, Gambusia needs a larger water body to breed well. Because of their laudable efforts, most of the tanks, lakes and water bodies in Karnataka have Guppy and Gambusia by default and this has played a very important deterrent role in controlling malaria in the city too.”

On World Malaria Day, Dr. S.K.Ghosh had one message for the public, “ Malaria mosquitoes breed only in stagnant water. People should take care not to dump  garbage on running drainage water, thereby causing stagnation which becomes the breeding ground for malarial mosquitoes.”

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