Local health authorities will kick off a six-day campaign against mosquitos and flies from today.

The city is likely to encounter a larger than usual influx of mosquitos next month due to high temperatures and the plum rain reason, local disease prevention experts said yesterday.

The Shanghai Patriotic Health Campaign Commission Office will team up with 200 subdistricts for the campaign. It will target construction sites, parking lots, wet markets, schools and stadiums holding Olympic events.

Though the mosquito density in May was lower than the same period last year, health office officials found mosquito larva in 3.42 percent of checked places, a rise of 32 percent over last year.

"The substantial rain recently and the warmer temperature are ideal for mosquito breeding. Some residents have complained about mosquitos," said Dr Leng Peien, director of Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention's pest control department. "Mosquitos usually peak in July in Shanghai. So it is very important for us to launch such a campaign for pest control now."

Medical experts said mosquitoes can spread dengue fever, malaria and epidemic encephalitis B, which peaks in late June and early July. The latest outbreak of dengue fever in China affected 83 people in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, in 2004.

Enterprises found with high mosquito density could face fines of 5,000 yuan (US$727), said Jin Peiwu, vice director of Shanghai Patriotic Health Campaign Commission Office.

(Shanghai Daily June 24, 2008)