Cambodia needs over 50 tons of microbial insecticide to fight dengue

Cambodia now needs more than 50 tons of microbial insecticide to fight the dengue fever around the country, local media reported Sunday.

The Cambodian Ministry of Health needs to distribute 50 to 60 tons of microbial insecticide to local residents to control the spread of dengue fever, Chinese-language newspaper the Cambodia Sin Chew Daily quoted ministry officials as saying.

Some 50 tons of microbial insecticide had already been distributed to people in the 19 provinces having dengue outbreak, it added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is sending 25 tons microbial insecticide to the country, the newspaper said.

As of Aug. 2, there were about 29,000 cases of dengue in Cambodia and 316 deaths, according to statistics from the health ministry.

The microbial insecticide is used to kill wigglers in the water to prevent the spread of dengue fever, which is passed throughout a community in a cycle from mosquito to human and back again.

In 2006, 158 people died from the mosquito-borne virus, according to official statistics.

Source: Xinhua