Ayurvedic remedy to protect homes from disease-carrying mosquitoes

Bangalore University (BU) and Adichunchanagiri Ayurvedic Medical College (AAMC) claimed to have jointly found an Ayurvedic remedy to safeguard homes from mosquitoes and other insects that are disease vectors.

 “We have a created a formulation containing Ayurvedic medicinal ingredients like tulsi, neem, Amruthaballi, ghee, Nirgundi and Hiridra. All these ingredients are mixed in different proportions and then fumigated with coconut shells or charcoal as fuel. This keeps all mosquitoes and insects at bay and is better than any modern day insecticide, pesticide or chemical spray. All the ingredients grow in the Charakavana, a medicinal and Ayurvedic garden at the BU campus, so the experiment did not cost us anything,” said Dr T Venkatashamaiah, Medical Superintendent at AAMC.

There are many people who have fever or suffer from the mosquito menace in their area. They are being guided to use herbal remedies to keep mosquitoes at bay. This is also a good prevention measure for many diseases. Experiments were conducted a 1.5 years ago which were successful even in the H1N1 cases. The formula has not yet been patented, but they are working towards it. The experiment has been published in the journals of BU and AAMC. All, officials, lecturers and staff members of both institutions are using it in their homes, he told Deccan Herald. 

“We want the masses to know about our product and use it regularly. We need financiers so that new techniques can be developed for people to use at their homes,” he said.

Noted environmentalist A N Yellappa Reddy, who was also a part of the experiment, said that this was a good method which is slowly gaining popularity among people by word of mouth. People are moving towards herbal treatments like consuming papaya leaves when they test positive for dengue. Many are also consuming the leaves and stems of Amruthaballi when they have a fever and also as a precaution to protect themselves from dengue. The demand for herbal formulations is so high that many trees and creepers have now been stripped and have become barren. In such a scenario, a herbal treatment to keep mosquitoes at bay will be a good solution for residential, commercial and community spaces. 

According to the Health department statistics released on Wednesday, last year there were 21 confirmed dengue deaths and this year from January, till date, there have been 10 deaths.