ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanews/13 July) – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is urging the public to use the Dengue Vector Surveillance Website (DVSW) to determine the prevalence of dengue-carrier mosquitoes in their locality.
Thelma Diego, DOST Regional Information Officer, said the website, http://oltrap.pchrd.dost.gov.ph, provides information on the presence of dengue-carrier mosquitoes especially in public schools
Diego said a particular place is saturated with mosquitoes once the website’s orvicidal larvicidal (OL) index reaches more than 20 percent.
She said a balloon-like object would also pop-up in the website once there is an impending dengue outbreak in the community.
The website shows a map of the Philippines with red markers to indicate the presence of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. One can also click on the navigation tool on the upper right portion to zero in on the viewer’s region or city.
The presence of mosquitoes is determined through the OL traps distributed in the different schools, the data submitted to the website by the OL trap coordinator who monitors and conducts surveillance in their respective places of assignments.
The OL trap is an invention of DOST’s Industrial Technology Development Institute. It has three components that include a black cup, a fiberboard and organic pellets. (MindaNews)
