Metro pollution drives away malaria-causing mosquitoes

A disease expert assured the public yesterday that Metro Manila is safe from malaria because the pollution has driven away malaria-causing mosquitoes.

"They won’t survive in a polluted area. That’s why there won’t be malaria in Metro Manila," said Dr. Ma. Dorina Bustos, a medical specialist at the government-run Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

Bustos noted in a forum that malaria is common in mountainous areas where there is fresh or clean water where the mosquito breeds.

Malaria is a disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite. It is characterized by fever, headaches, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms that appear about nine to 14 days after one is bitten by an infected mosquito.

The provinces most endemic with malaria were identified as Palawan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Apayao and Quirino.

Bustos maintained that it is also not possible for malaria-causing mosquitoes to survive the plane ride from endemic provinces to Metro Manila.

Public interest about malaria was stirred recently when broadcaster Reyster Langit and his cameraman Arnold Tanare died after contracting the disease while doing a documentary in Palawan.

The two were supposed to investigate the mysterious death of the Tao’t bato tribesmen in Palawan then.

Bustos added that generally, there has been a decline in malaria cases in the Philippines over the past five years.

The expert warned that the intake of prophylaxis to fight malaria infection is not "100 percent fool-proof" because of the so-called "breakthrough parasitism."

She added that aside from such medication, those who goes to endemic places should also use mosquito nets and apply mosquito-repellant lotion on their body.