Mosquito Genocide?

A Taiwanese woman has been reported to have won prize money for catching 1.5 kilos of mosquitoes or an estimated 4 million of the pests in just one month in a contest organised by a insect trap maker. Instead of being amazed by the feat, our local governments and health authorities should seriously check how this was done and in the event the insect traps actually contributed to the catch, to invite the company to set up shop here to manufacture for domestic consumption. Maybe then the fight against disease carrying vectors can be won especially if similar contests can be held. Who knows a local champion can actually be discovered through such measures so that we do not have to depend on "foreign technology".

Mon Aug 2, 5:41 am ET

TAIPEI (AFP) – A Taiwanese woman has taken a sizeable bite out of Taiwan's mosquito population, and won a 3,000 US dollar cash prize, by catching around 4 million of the bloodsuckers in just one month.

Huang Yu-yen, from southern Taiwan's Yunlin county, beat 72 rivals with a catch weighing in at more than 1.5 kilogrammes (3lbs 5oz), competition organisers Imbictus International, a company that makes insect traps, said.

The haul was more than double that of her nearest rival.

The company has sent an application to Guinness World Records asking that Huang be recognised as the world's leading killer of the pest.

Mosquitoes have been a major public health hazard in Taiwan, especially as carriers of malaria until its official eradication on the island in 1965. They are still responsible for the spread of dengue fever.