Eradicating Dengue- A Timely CSR Project

Suren Cooke agencies, in their mission to eradicate Dengue embarked on yet another Community project in collaboration with national dengue control unit an the CMC, PAMSL, using a new and improved method for mosquito control called Cold Fogging method also known as Water based fogging.

A number of Apartment complexes in Dematagoda was the area treated on the 28th of October 2022, which was identified as a key dengue breeding site.

Managing Director of Suren Cooke Agencies, Suren Cooke said that cold fogging using water as a base, was a more cost effective method to eradicate mosquitoes and house flies in comparison to thermal fogging which has been practiced in the past. Also, by mounting a fogger on a pickup truck, a larger area could be treated in a shorter period of time.

In addition to being cost effective, using water would save precious foreign exchange needed to import kerosene or diesel. The other advantages of cold fogging is being more user friendly as it does not emit a thick fog, emits uniform droplet size and reduces the odour which at times is a hazard to motorists, the general public, household pets and other animals in the vicinity and eliminates fire hazzard.

From a medical experts point of view, Consultant Entomologist at Suren Cooke Agencies, Dr. P. H. D. Kusumawathie says a dengue mosquito could fly a distance of approximately 100 metres. Typically public health officials would fumigate the area within a 200 metre radius from a residence of a dengue patient. If the patient was diagnosed with Malaria the area within a two kilometre radius would be fumigated. She said that when fumigating as a precautionary measure, effectiveness would increase proportionately with a larger area being treated.

Hence making Cold Fogging or Water based fogging with the help of a truck mounted machine, the most effective mode of mosquito eradication.