Researchers of the Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP) and collaborators of the universities of Seville and Córdoba have performed a Systematic review on the use of fish For the vector control of vector -transmitted diseases, in which the effectiveness of this natural measure is evaluated as an alternative in the fight against diseases such as dengue, malaria or zika.
This work, recently published by the Spanish Public Health Magazinerepresents a relevant contribution to the search for sustainable and respectful methods with the environment for vector control, according to the EASP in a press release.
The systematic review included seven studies carried out in Asia, which they used fish Larvivores as a biological strategy to reduce the population of mosquitoes in diverse contexts: domestic containers, rice fields and wells related to hydraulic works. The results revealed significant reductions In entomological indicators, with larval descents between 80 and one hundred percent, and in some cases, also in epidemiological indicators, reaching reductions of up to 99.87 percent in the clinical incidence.
The authors underline, however, the need to interpret these results with caution. Thus, although the data is encouraging, it is fundamental “Study the viability, sustainability, cost-effectiveness and the ecological impact of the massive introduction of fish in specific ecosystems before recommending its large-scale implementation”.
This article reviews exclusively previous scientific studies And, like any systematic review, it does not provide new evidence, but also synthesizes the existing one under rigorous methodological criteria. In this sense, it is a valuable exercise of analysis and critical evaluation that allows “To guide future public health decisions from a preventive and biological approach”.
This publication is part of a broader doctoral thesis in progress on evidence of the effectiveness of interventions for the prevention of diseases transmitted by mosquitoeswhich has also evaluated environmental control and chemical control interventions, and another review on other biological control interventions is underway.
