NCERT Solutions for Class 5 EVS Chapter 8 - A Treat for Mosquitoes

Following things are done in my house to protect everyone from mosquitoes—
(i) Using mosquito nets while sleeping at night.
(ii) Using mosquito repellents oils, creams, liquids, coils etc.
(iii) Burning dry Neem leaves and spreading the smoke in the house weekly.
(iv) Covering the windows with fine wire mesh.
(v) Keeping the surroundings clean and not allowing water to collect anywhere.
I found out that my friends also follow the things mentioned above to protect themselves from mosquitoes.

The blood test report is concluded with the line that malarial parasite is found in the blood sample. This line in the report helps us to know that the person has malaria.

Yes, my sister suffered from malaria once.

They found it by conducting a blood test.

They had the following problems on having malaria—
(i) High fever
(ii) Bouts of shivering
(iii) Weakness and fatigue

Mosquito bites cause following diseases—
(i) Dengue, (ii) Chikungunya, (iii) Filaria.

Malaria is most common during the rainy season. The mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. As in the rainy season, water gets collected in puddles, ponds, wells, drains, leftover containers around the house, etc. the mosquitoes get sufficient opportunity to breed and spread diseases.

The blood report said that my aunt was suffering from malaria.

Yes, about three months ago there was a health check-up camp in my school. The doctor said that I was fit and healthy.

The minimum required haemoglobin level in the blood is 12 gm/dl.

Aarti’s haemoglobin has increased by 2.5 gm/dl, and it took three months for that.

 The newspaper report says that anaemia affects children both physically and mentally. Due to anaemia, children’s growth is hampered, and their energy levels are not up to the mark. This affects their studies, as they are not in proper health condition to perform well.

The food items that contain iron are—Amla, green leafy vegetables, jaggery, apples, beans, peas, apricots, raisins, red meat, poultry and seafood.

The government puts up such posters and ads to create awareness among people.

These pictures are shown on the poster to grab the people’s attention and highlight the fact that these are the places where water can stagnate and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Yes, I have seen such posters stuck on the walls of buildings in my locality.

The following important points are given in the poster—
(i) Beware of mosquitoes as they cause serious diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya.
(ii) Fill up the pits to avoid the collection of water.
(iii) Clean the surroundings and all the water containers to ensure there are no breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
(iv) Use mosquito nets to avoid mosquito bites.
(v) Kerosene oil should be sprayed on stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

 It talks about putting fish in the tank because those fish feed on the larvae of mosquitoes.

The thin layer of oil on the stagnant water does not allow the mosquitoes to breed because the oil layer prevents the oxygen from reaching the growing larvae. As a result, the larvae die due to oxygen deficiency.

Flies spread diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery and anthrax. They carry the germs of these diseases from contaminated matter. When they sit on the contaminated matter, the germs stick to their legs and the same are transferred to the food when the flies sit on it.

(i) Pot—?
(ii) Tank—
(iii) Any open space in the school ground—?
(iv) Gutter—
(v) Any other place— (near the drains)

We should clean the places in and around our home. School authorities are responsible for keeping the school premises clean, and the municipality is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness in public areas.

The municipality is responsible for the repairing of gutters and drains.

Yes, larvae are visible in the collected water.

Yes, there are certain problems in the area—
(i) The area looks dirty and unclean.
(ii) The place is swarming with mosquitoes and flies.
(iii) Foul smell comes from the collected water.

(i) The municipality of my area is responsible for keeping the area around my school clean.
(ii) A letter to the Ward Councillor must be written to address this problem.
The Ward Councillor Date: 01.11.2021
Ward Number-15
Company Bagh, Pratapganj
Subject: Request for maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene around D.V. Senior Secondary School, Company Bagh.
Dear Sir,
This is to bring to your kind attention that my school, D.V. Senior Secondary School, which is located in your ward, is facing the following problems concerning cleanliness and hygiene—
(i) The stagnant water collected around the school has become a breeding ground for the mosquitoes.
(ii) Garbage collected in the school’s backyard is not disposed of regularly. As a result, the place is swarming with flies and also emitting a foul smell.
So, I request you to kindly look into the matter as it may lead to serious health problems. I will be highly grateful if my request is granted.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely,
Diksha Singh (on behalf of the students of Class V, Section-A)
D.V. Senior Secondary School, Company Bagh, Pratapganj Is there a pond or river around your house or school? Go and look around and observe these things:

Yes, some small plants grow near the side or in the water body.
Examples of such plants are Bladderwort, Cattail, Hydrilla.

I can also see the following things in water—
(i) Aquatic animals like fishes, crabs, tadpoles, frogs etc.
(ii) Small insects like water bugs, water beetles etc.
(iii) Dirt, mud, sand at the edges of the water body.

Yes, algae is found on the surface of the water.

Algae is seen on damp walls, damp ground, near hand pumps, near containers storing water etc.

No, they were not planted by anyone. They grew on their own.

Following things can be done to prevent the mosquitoes from breeding in our house, school and neighbourhood—
(i) Do not allow water to collect in the pits, pots, water tanks or anywhere near the house or the school.
(ii) Clean the water coolers in the house frequently.
(iii) Spray DDT and kerosene oil in areas that frequently get water-logged and in gutters and drains.
(iv) Allow the fishes to breed in ponds and ditches to feed on the larvae of mosquitoes.
(v) Burn dry Neem leaves to fumigate the areas

We can find out if someone has malaria by checking their blood test report. If it shows the presence of malarial parasite, then it can be confirmed that the person is suffering from malaria.