KUALA LUMPUR: Home remedies can be used to get rid of mosquitoes which can cause dangerous and fatal diseases like dengue and Zika.
In fact, there are a variety of natural remedies being used as mosquito repellents, especially in residential areas, including citronella and jeremin plants, as well as cloves and lime.
Sharing tips to repel mosquitoes, Noraini Jamsit, 53, said her family had been using lime with cloves as mosquito repellents for more than 50 years.
She said her home at Palong 13, Negeri Sembilan, was free from mosquitoes and flies ever since she practiced the tips.
“Besides easily obtained, these items are also cheap and the aroma is calming,” she told Bernama.
For Rukiah Rahmat, 80, she would burn coconut husks at dusk to repel mosquitoes.
“At 6 pm I will start collecting coconut husks and burn them under my house. The smoke will help keep away the mosquitoes,” she said.
Malaysia reported its first case of Zika infection when a woman in Klang, Selangor, was tested positive for the disease a week after her return from Singapore on Aug 21.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry’s Disease Control Division director Dr Chong Chee Kheong said Zika virus patient would be treated using the same method to treat dengue, which both being spread by Aedes mosquito.
“So far there is no specific medication for Zika but we will treat the patient according to the symptoms showed and ensure that he or she gets enough water and rest,” he said. --BERNAMA