Wanted dead or alive: Filipino lawman offers bounty for mosquitoes behind dengue outbreak

Local officials in the Philippines are offering a bounty for mosquitoes caught dead or alive in a bid to slow the spread of another dengue epidemic.

In an unusual scheme to combat the debilitating and sometimes lethal disease, authorities have launched a “peso for a mosquito” in Addition Hills – a densely packed neighbourhood in the heart of the capital Manila, home to some 70,000 people.

The area’s leader, Carlito Cernal, hopes that adopting a time-honoured bounty will inspire residents to remove mosquitoes from the streets – and therefore combat a massive uptick in dengue transmission.

“Fight dengue, catch mosquitoes together!” Mr Cernal, wrote on Instagram. “Due to the increase in dengue cases… we have launched an alternative method in addition to the regular cleaning of our surroundings!”

Nationwide dengue infections jumped by 40 per cent in January compared to the same period last year, with the archipelago’s Department of Health recording 28,234 cases as of February 1.

Last weekend Quezon City, which directly borders Manila, declared an outbreak after 1,769 cases and 10 deaths were reported – most of the fatalities were among children. Local officials there have not yet talked of a bounty, but said they may instead release swarms of frogs to eat the insects.

The central government has blamed intermittent downpours for the surge in infections, warning that the rainfall has left behind the ideal mosquito breeding sites – stagnant pools of water.

In Addition Hills, officials have already tried to control mosquitoes using traditional tools, from a street hygiene campaign to canal de-clogging. But Mr Cernal said he decided to adopt a less conventional approach after two young students died in the neighbourhood.

The new cash reward applies to all mosquitoes and their larvae, dead or alive. Participants will receive one peso, just under two US cents, for every five insects captured.

As of Wednesday evening, 21 bounty-hunters had claimed their reward, with 700 mosquitoes captured so far, the BBC reported.

Among them was Miguel Labag, a 64-year-old scavenger, who told AFP news agency that he received nine pesos (15 cents, or 10 pence) for 45 mosquitoes, which were squirming in water in a jug. “This is a big help, I can buy a coffee,” he said.

However, the latest campaign has triggered some scorn online, amid suggestions that sneaky residents could launch “mosquito farms” to capitalise on the bounty. Others questioned whether enough insects would be collected to make a dent in transmission.

But Mr Cernal was adamant that the bounty was a novel way to fight dengue, batting away concerns the cash reward could be exploited. He added that the campaign would be terminated as soon as the uptick in cases eases.

The novel approach comes as dengue – often called ‘breakbone fever’ because severe joint pain is one of the symptoms – laps the globe in an unprecedented outbreak, driven by warming temperatures, urbanisation and international travel.

At least 14 million cases and 10,000 deaths were reported last year, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, with South and Central America especially hard hit. Patchy surveillance means these figures are likely to be underestimates.

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