Correlation of Water pH To Aedes aegypti Larvae Growth

Abstract

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a disease caused by the dengue virus. This disease is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito through its bite. Dengue hemorrhagic fever cases are found in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Dengue fever has become a global health problem due to an increase in dengue cases in the world in the last decade. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are as many as 390 million dengue infections annually and 96 million of them have clinical manifestations of dengue infection. In 2020, there were 108,303 cases of DHF in Indonesia. A total of 477 districts/cities in Indonesia are infected with DHF or 92.8% of the total districts/cities in Indonesia. There has been an increase in DHF cases from 2010 to 2019. Water containers or also called breeding places have an effect on the high density of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. More water containers means more mosquito breeding places. This causes a high population of mosquitoes which will have an impact on increasing cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Water used as a breeding ground for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes comes from various sources, such as rainwater, tap water, or well water. Each water has different chemical properties, such as pH, oxygen content, and other substances. The difference in pH will affect the growth and development of pre-adult stages of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The more acidic pH of the water causes the low growth of mosquito larvae to become adults. This is because at low water pH (acidic) dissolved oxygen levels will decrease, this causes the formation of cytochrome oxidase in the body of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae to be disrupted. Cytochrome oxidase plays a role in the metabolic process of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae, so that by reducing this enzyme, the growth of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes will be disrupted due to obstacles to energy production in the larval metabolic process.