KUALA LUMPUR: A solution might be in sight to combat the dengue menace that has escalated to worrying levels, killing 85 people and infecting nearly 45,000 people up to June, a 246% increase.

And officials who formulated the matter even called it a “game changing” technology that will give hope to not only Malaysians but billions of people around the world.

The answer is a larvicide called mousticide.

It has a 100% success rate and is 200 times more powerful than any other larvicide in the market, according to Tunku Naquiyuddin Ja’afar, founder of Entogenex, a biotechnology company which is marketing mousticide.

Entogenex Bhd has come up with a solution to fighting the dengue plague.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), it introduced Mousticide to combat the growing concern of dengue-related deaths in Malaysia.

“This innovation, coupled with research and development is 28 years in the making,” said Naquiyuddin.

The Mousticide larvicide was field tested in several hotspots in Gombak and Setapak during the dengue-related incidences in 2010 and showed success.

“The trials were 100% successful and dengue in that area was wiped out for five months,” he added saying the trials were even commended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in their reports.

Entogenex’s innovative product was funded by MOSTI under two platforms. They gave RM3.36 million for its techno fund and RM5 million for commercial use.

In fact, Entogenex will soon be embarking on a nationwide programme to create a toolkit to fight dengue.

“We will be launching a one year programme called Bebas Denggi very soon where we will distribute the toolkits at various urban centres in Malaysia,” said the Director of Entogenex Martin Francis.

“This game changing technology will be the hope of billions of people around the world who are facing the risk of dengue, malaria and other mosquito-related diseases,” said Francis also referring to the company’s hope to globally distribute Mousticide.

Mousticide is safe for human, animals and plants as it uses only natural occurring ingredients.

The larvicide is packaged in two different formats, Mousticide RH and Mousticide WP.

“The former is the dry kind, with the active ingredients coated onto rice husks, while the latter is a wettable powder to be used commercially.

Dengue-related cases have gone up 246% with 44,518 cases reported from January until June and 85 deaths from these cases were confirmed this year alone.

Francis added that Mousticide RH will be available in retail markets by the end of August.

Source:Free Malaysia Today