Malang Posco Media – The government through the Ministry of Health will begin to innovate to suppress the spread of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) with the Wolbachia mosquito.
For starters, the Wolbachia mosquito will be distributed in five cities, namely West Jakarta (DKI Jakarta), Bandung (West Java), Semarang (Central Java), Bontang (East Kalimantan), and Kupang (East Nusa Tenggara).
A Facebook post reported that Wolbachia mosquitoes have the potential to increase elephantiasis and micro hydrocephalus.
The following is the narrative in the upload:
“According to Prof. Richard, the Wolbachia mosquito has the potential to increase attacks of ELEPHANTIC FEET and micro hydrocephalus…
Because the mosquitoes have already spread, we must continue to monitor in the future, will elephantiasis and micro hydrocephalus attacks increase??…
If so, the Minister of Health and the government must be responsible… Who had the idea of making society a guinea pig…. must be responsible…”
However, is it true that the Wolbachia mosquito has the potential to transmit elephantiasis to humans?
Disinformation posts that suggest the Wolbachia mosquito can cause elephantiasis in humans. In fact, Prof. DR. Adi Utarini, M.Sc, MPH, PhD, said that this technology is not related to the incidence of filariasis or elephantiasis. (Facebook)
Explanation:
The DKI Jakarta Health Service (Dinkes) ensures that Aedes Aegypti mosquito bites containing Wolbachia bacteria are not dangerous for humans and are environmentally friendly. The research results also show that the Wolbachia bacteria is also safe for other insects.
“There are no harmful effects on humans. “The Aedes aegypti mosquito with Wolbachia is safe for humans and environmentally friendly,” said the Head of the Epidemiology and Immunization Surveillance Section of the DKI Jakarta Health Service, as reported by ANTARA.
Researcher from the Department of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Gadjah Mada University, Prof. DR. Adi Utarini, M.Sc, MPH, PhD, said that this technology is not related to the incidence of filariasis or elephantiasis.
“The Wolbachia in the worms that cause filariasis is a different type from the Wolbachia in the Aedes aegypti mosquito. “So Wolbachia is not just one type, but there are thousands of types,” he said as quoted by ANTARA.
Thus, the claim that the Wolbachia mosquito can cause elephantiasis in humans is false.(ntr/mpm)
2023-12-04 10:51:00
#Hoax #Wolbachia #Mosquitoes #Elephantiasis #Malang #Posco #Media
