Williams Agnes (nee Offiong). & Dr. Benjamin Ayua Ambe
Abstract
This research sought to determine the perception of rural dwellers and education on use of pesticides for the control of mosquitoes in Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria. Stratified random sampling technique was used to sample 298 rural dwellers from 46 communities, and an 18 item structured questionnaire was administered on the respondents. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to analysis the data obtained. The results of the treatment of the hypotheses revealed that there is a significant relationship between rural dwellers perception and the use of pesticides to control mosquitoes and that rural dwellers’ unguided use of pesticides significantly relate with adverse effects of those pesticides on humans. The researchers recommend that aggressive Environmental Education should be embarked upon in communities in Nigeria and Africa to let them know about the existence of the Zika virus spread by mosquitoes, its mode of transmission, and how keeping the environment clean can effectively put away mosquitoes and reduce the risk of the spread of zika virus. Secondly, they should be educated on how to cautiously use pesticides to prevent the proliferation of mosquitoes which habour and spread zika virus while avoiding the adverse side effects of those chemicals on humans and the environment.