OLIVAREZ COLLEGE

INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PAASCU ACCREDITED

Background of the study

Mosquitoes have been a problem for people all over the world. They

have evolved many tricks over thousands of years to make them very good

at what they do. These tricks include specialized mouthparts for blood

feeding, incredible sensory perception, and most amazingly (Enriquez FJ,

2016), the development from an aquatic life stage through to an airborne

home. Mosquitoes’ role in spreading disease was first understood around

the turn of the 20th century. In 1898, British physician Sir Ronald Ross, then

working in Calcutta, proved that mosquitoes were transmitting malaria.

(Wanasen N. 2014)

Most of the mosquito-borne diseases are now endemic to South and Central

America, parts of Asia and Africa. Some of the encephalitis viruses, like

West Nile, Japanese encephalitis and Western and Eastern (Fernan, 2010)

equine encephalitis, do cause infections in the United States, Japan and

Europe.

Mosquitoes can have both positive and negative impacts on the

ecosystem. As part of their useful role, the larvae of mosquitoes live in water

and provide food for fish and other wildlife, including larger larvae of other
 OLIVAREZ COLLEGE
INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
PAASCU ACCREDITED

2
species such as dragonflies (Nikki Albano, 2012). The larvae themselves

eat microscopic organic matter in the water, helping to recycle it. Adult

mosquitoes make up part of the diet of some insect-eating animals, such as

birds, bats, adult dragonflies and spiders. They also help pollinate some

flowers, when they consume nectar.

But mosquitoes also have a damaging role, harming other animals by being

a vector for diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis and

dengue (James AA, 2014). The mosquitoes don’t cause the diseases

themselves, but only act as carriers. They need to feed on a person or

animal that is already infected, and then when they bite a healthy person or

animal afterwards, they pass on the disease.

In places where a particular disease is not already present, there’s no

risk of catching it from mosquitoes, but ecologists worry, because if infected

humans or animals do come into the area (Anonymous, 2017), the

mosquitoes that already live there will spread the disease among the rest

of the healthy population.

Here in the Philippines the Department of Health (DOH) reported a dramatic

decrease in cases of the mosquito borne virus since last 2013 which has a
 OLIVAREZ COLLEGE
INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
PAASCU ACCREDITED

2
record of whopping more than 200,000 dengue fever cases (VF ASEAN,

2015). Dengue fever cases have been reported in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley,

Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Albay, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao,

Davao and Caraga. Especially, two provinces (Palawan and Tawi-Tawi)

report more than 1,000 cases a year and only four have more than 100

cases but less than 500 cases a year (Sulu, Maguindanao, Mindoro

Occidental, and Zambales).

Epidemics of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever occur every 3–

4 years in the Philippines, and together with other febrile illnesses in

children they impose a considerable burden on the national healthcare

system. With the onset of the rainy season (Ticman AA, 2012), Philippine

health officials are reminding the public anew on Dengue awareness and

advising people to do regular clean-up drive for possible mosquito breeding

sites.

An article published by The Manila Times says that the Department of

Health (DOH) had 19 known cases of Zika virus infection in the Philippines

were caused by mosquito bites, and is stepping up efforts to fight the

disease that has affected more than 160 thousand people worldwide this

year, it said in a briefing last week. The most recent cases as of October 28
 OLIVAREZ COLLEGE
INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
PAASCU ACCREDITED

2
are from Cavite, a young male and a middle-aged female, the DOH

reported.” (The Manila Times, 2016). Zika Virus Disease (ZVD) or simply

Zika is a mild disease mainly transmitted through mosquito bites, although

it can also be transmitted from person to person through sexual activity or

blood transfusions. Regional breakdown of the four affected regions are 12

in Western Visayas, three in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal,

Quezon), three in National Capital Region (NCR), and one in Central

Visayas (Micah Yvana, 2016).

All these cases belong to the 20 percent of people who are symptomatic,

while the majority, or four out of five cases do not show symptoms or are

asymptomatic, meaning that the number of people infected could actually

be much higher (The Manila Times, 2016). Common symptoms include

rash, conjunctivitis, joint pain, and fever. Among those four, studies showed

that rash is the most common symptom in all affected countries.

Insect repellents are important tools for prevention of insect-borne

diseases as well as painful or uncomfortable insect bites. The 2 most

effective and widely used products are N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide

(deet), which is applied to exposed skin, and permethrin, which is applied

to clothes. Both are safe when used according to directions (Jerome, 2014).
 OLIVAREZ COLLEGE
INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
PAASCU ACCREDITED

2
Other repellents, including a variety of plant-derived products, have also

been used but generally have a weaker or shorter-lived repellent effect.

An insect repellent is any chemical -- natural or synthetic -- that causes

insects or other arthropods to make directed, oriented movements away

from the source of repellent (Medscape, 2015). Chemical substances that

have repellent effects enable us to go places and do things in insect- and

disease-infested areas while avoiding disease transmission by arthropods.

Repellents have prevented countless cases of malaria, dengue fever,

encephalitis, and other mosquito-borne diseases. However, in recent years,

concerns about the potential adverse health effects of insect repellents have

increased, especially for those containing N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide,

also known as deet (Medscape, 2015). This is the most effective and widely

used insect repellent available.

The most common mosquito repellents used by Filipinos are

commercial mosquito coils. A mosquito coil is a mosquito-repelling incense,

usually made into a spiral, and typically made using dried paste of

pyrethrum powder. The coil is usually held at the center of the spiral,

suspending it in the air, or wedged by two pieces of fireproof netting to allow

 OLIVAREZ COLLEGE
INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
PAASCU ACCREDITED

2
continuous smoldering (Wikipedia, 2019). Burning usually begins at the

outer end of the spiral and progresses slowly toward the center of the spiral,

producing a mosquito-repellent smoke.

Mosquito coils contain a mix of substances. Along with the products

that deter mosquito biting, there are also products that hold the coil together

and enable it to smoulder slowly (AEDT, 2017). Mosquito coils work in one

of two ways. Those that contain insecticides will kill (or at least “knock

down”) mosquitoes, while those that contain aromatic substances (such as

citronella) will repel mosquitoes or reduce the likelihood they’ll bite.

The link between smoking cigarettes and poor health outcomes is clear.

What about mosquito coil smoke, especially if there’s almost daily exposure,

as there is in some countries?

One study estimated the particulate matter produced from burning one

mosquito coil was equivalent to burning 75-137 cigarettes. This amount of

exposure poses a health risk, but there is a lack of clear evidence that the

long-term exposure to mosquito coil smoke increases the risk of more

serious health impacts such as lung cancer (AEDT,2017). In the face of this
 OLIVAREZ COLLEGE
INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
PAASCU ACCREDITED

2
uncertainty, the key message should be to avoid prolonged exposure,

especially in enclosed spaces.

Mosquito repellent coils are cheap and accessible from neighborhood

stores that consumers resort to using them. But there are dangers to using

coils, especially those that did not pass screening. The FDA in the

Philippines issued on Aug. 28, 2013 a public health warning on buying

unregistered toxic household insecticides in the market. Its advisory said

that buying unregistered insecticide products is dangerous to health since

the active ingredient is unknown and may cause harm to consumers. There

are insecticides that are banned in the Philippines, and these toxic products

are being smuggled and dumped in the country. (FDA, 2013)

It listed insecticides in aerosol cans, mosquito coils and body spray that, it

said, did not pass safety and efficacy assessment. The FDA called on the

Bureau of Customs to monitor the entry of these and other fake products

from other countries since they pass through Philippine ports. Not only

illegal drugs apparently escape scrutiny by the Customs bureau (FDA,

2013) Fake products, including mosquito coils from different countries, have

been known to pass screening.

 OLIVAREZ COLLEGE
INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
PAASCU ACCREDITED

2
The advisory also called on local government units to do their part to ensure

unregistered toxic insecticide products are confiscated, away from the

reach of consumers (SunStar, 2017). Cebu was one of the areas identified

by the FDA where the mosquito repellent coil was sold.

25 years from now, we expect that the health cases regarding

mosquito carrying diseases tremendously decreases with the availability

and cooperation of mosquito repellants- this includes our product “BugOut”-

that are harmful for the mosquitoes but not for human health.