ISCEP 2026 At Sunway Putra Hotel 17-18 August 2026
ABSTRACT
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACT
P06
SMALL FLIES, BIG RISKS: TACKLING DROSOPHILA INFESTATION IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY IN KOTA SETAR, KEDAH
Nurul Farhanah MOHD NASIR, Fatin Aina ABU BAKAR, Mohd Zukri IBRAHIM
Poster Presenc
Kata Sara Di Meath Of State Health Department, Alor Setar, K
Drosophila sp. a fruit fly species, can act as a transmission vector causing infestation and food contamination, particularly in healthcare settings. This study aimed to determine the source of Drosophila infestations within the food preparation and waste management areas of a healthcare facility in Kota Setar, Kedah Potential Drosophila breeding sites in these areas were inspected and recorded via physical observation. In 2024, positive breeding activity was observed exclusively in two site types, namely conveyor food trays and channel drains. Conveyor food trays recorded one positive site out of two inspected, representing a 50% infestation rate. Similarly channel drains accounted for one positive site out of five inspected, yielding a 20% rate. By 2025, the breeding distribution had completely shifted. Inspections of both conveyor food trays and channel drains recorded a 0% positivity rate, despite the number of inspected channel drains doubling to ten. All active breeding in 2025 was discovered in newly introduced inspection categories. Specifically, two positive sites were identified out of ten inspected drain covers, yielding a 20% rate, and one positive site was found of six inspected waste bins, reflecting a 17% rate. Targeted sanitation and environmental management succmsfully eliminated the primary breading grounds. However, the data reveal that pests adapt by migrating to secondary previously unmonitored habitats such as drain covers and the waste bin management area. To effectively suppress infestations, vector control strategies must be dynamic, employing continuously expanding surveillance to eliminate new reservoirs as they emerge.
Keywords: Drosophila, healthcare facility breeding sites, sector control strategies, food preparation area waste
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON ENTOMOLOGY AND PEST SCEP) 2006