LAHORE, Nov 5: Government College University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Khaleequr Rahman has said the government must allocate adequate resources to universities for research to control dengue vector and protect citizens from the disease.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of a five-day workshop on “Prevention and Control of Dengue Vectors” organised by the GCU under the auspices of Higher Education Commission and GCU’s zoology department on Monday.

Stating that the dengue was killing over 25,000 people every year in the world, Prof Rahman stressed the need for continuously taking tangible measures to ensure that the risk of the disease could be minimised in future.

He hoped the workshop would create an opportunity for extending research collaboration with other universities and organisations in the field of medical entomology.

Former Allama Iqbal Medical College principal Prof Dr Javed Akram said the epidemiological data showed that the dengue pattern in Pakistan was different from the rest of the world as it had hit more male population than females.

He said: “It is also found that a large number of dengue patients in Pakistan have developed a natural immunity against the virus, but this immunity is not likely to stand for a long period and they may get infected again.” He said body fluid management played a vital role in saving the life of dengue patients.

GCU Dean Prof Dr Islamullah Khan said there was no vaccine available against dengue and the most widely used methods for its control were based on chemical agents. He said these insecticides harmed environment and there was a dire need to evolve different methods and strategies to prevent the dengue epidemic.

Zoology Department Chairperson Prof Dr Nusrat Jahan recommended biological control of dengue, adding that mosquitoes in Pakistan had developed resistance against the chemicals used in fumigation and sprays.

She said biological control or “bio-control” was the use of natural enemies to manage mosquito population with a minimum risk to humans, wildlife and the environment.

“The use of biological agents includes predatory insects and other invertebrates, such as copepods, parasitic nematodes, larvivorous fish and microbial entomopathogens including Bacillus thuringiensis,” she said.

As many as 18 lectures on topics, including “management of dengue patients”, “morphological and mode of transmission of dengue virus”, “study of development stages of mosquito” and “methods of filed collection of adult mosquitoes” are part of the workshop that spread over 12 technical sessions.

About 600 zoologists and entomologists from all over the country are participating in the workshop.