The only way to check Zika is by controlling breeding sites of the vector, the aedes mosquito close to human habitations. It requires clean water to lay its eggs; checking it requires meticulous control of water sources inside and around homes, as well as spraying. When even a pampered New Delhi has been unable to achieve this control, there is little ground for optimism that it can happen elsewhere in India. The best scenario is for Zika to serve as a real wake-up call for community-based and community-empowered mosquito control programmes.
