With the aim to help reduce the population of mosquitoes carrying dengue virus, as well as in increasing dengue awareness of the public, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through the Department of Education (DepEd) deploys the Ovicidal / Larvicidal (OL) Trap in public schools in the country.
The OL trap which is developed by the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) of DOST, is a simple device made of ordinary plastic tumbler, black color, and a strip of lawanit board measuring 1 X 6.5 X ½ inches. The black color tumbler and moist lawanit become an attractive nest for the mosquitoes. The all-natural mosquito attractant solution is 85% effective in killing the eggs and larvae of the mosquitoes within seven (7) days duration.
The OL Trap serves as a surveillance tool to determine the density of mosquitoes in a particular area. Schools with at least 20 % OL indices for three (3) consecutive weeks are considered as vulnerable for possible dengue outbreak. As a preventive action, the concerned schools are required to provide interventions to help lessen the population of mosquitoes in their school surroundings. The suggested interventions are regular clean-up drive to eliminate possible mosquito breeding sites, dengue awareness campaign, application of larvicides in stagnant water, waste management, among others. DOST IX and DepEd-IX OL trap division coordinators are regularly monitoring the compliance of participating schools on the suggested interventions.
DepEd school dengue coordinators were trained by DOST IX on the proper use and deployment of the OL trap, as well as on the procedure in sending weekly OL surveillance data via SMS to the Nationwide Dengue Vector Surveillance (NDVS) website at http://oltrap.pchrd.dost.gov.ph. The dengue warning website is open to the general public.
On-site validation at Talon-Talon National High School
On-site validation at Tetuan Central School
On-site validation at Guiwan Elementary School
Guiwan Elem. School teacher inspects the OL Trap
This project is also implemented in close collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). (DOST IX PRESS RELEASE)
