Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Japanese encephalitis is an important disease affecting 70,000 people every year, with young
children constituting the major part. Growing rice with alternate wetting and drying (AWD)
methodology reduces water consumption at the same time as it contributes to a reduction in
greenhouse gas emission. In this study, mosquitoes and mosquito larvae were collected at ricegrowing farmers’ households, comparing the number of mosquitoes at households using AWD
with households practicing conventional methods. Mosquitoes were also analyzed with PCR
regarding Japanese encephalitis virus. In addition, a survey was conducted at the households,
concerning the farmers knowledge about mosquito-borne diseases in general, Japanese
encephalitis in particular and their measurements taken to avoid these diseases. In total,
2,072 mosquitoes were trapped, identified and analyzed. No difference in the number of
mosquitoes were found between AWD-practicing households and households practicing
conventional rice growing. None of the mosquito pools tested positive for Japanese encephalitis
virus. Correlations between level of education and knowledge about mosquito-borne diseases
were found. Knowledge about these diseases needs to be improved to increase the preventions
practiced. This study shows that more research, with a greater number of material and in areas
with different constitutions between AWD and conventional rice-growing methods, is needed.