End of the Line for Malaria Mosquitoes?
MELBOURNE, Apr. 22 /Medianet International-AsiaNet/ --
Researchers in The Netherlands have achieved outstanding success in blocking the lifecycle
of the mosquitoes which transmit malaria.
The trials were conducted by Tullu Bukhari and Bart Knols, mosquito researchers at
Wageningen University, on a silicone-based liquid which spreads instantly across standing
water. The liquid forms a very thin surface film, impacting on mosquitoes at every stage of their
lifecycle.
The research, which will soon be published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene, has shown excellent efficacy of the product against the most important Asian and
African malaria vectors.
“All of the pupae in the water died within 2 hours of application of the product, and none of the
larvae went to the pupa stage,” Dr Knols said. “In addition, no eggs were laid on the treated
water.”
“Most attention has been focussed on adult mosquitoes through bed nets and indoor spraying,
but this product targets the junior end of the scale,” he said.
The product, called Aquatain AMF, was originally designed for controlling evaporation from
large water bodies, and is marketed for that purpose as well as for mosquito control.
According to the Australian inventor of the product, Graham Strachan, Aquatain AMF’s
physical action has two major benefits over traditional mosquito control products which have a
chemical action. “Firstly, the environmental impacts are minimal; and secondly, mosquitoes
can’t develop a resistance to the product,” he said. “The liquid is safe to use on all types of
water, including drinking water, and can be applied from a simple squeeze bottle on to puddles,
drains, ditches and other mosquito breeding sites.”
These results support other trials which have been done with Aquatain AMF on aedes
mosquitoes (dengue fever carriers) and culex mosquitoes (West Nile Virus carriers).
The Wageningen trials were conducted under laboratory conditions, and field evaluations in
Africa are planned for the autumn of 2009.
Further details:
Dr Bart Knols
Medical Entomologist
Laboratory of Entomology
Wageningen University & Research Centre
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)317 485418
Mobile: +31 (0)6 20014927
Fax: +31 (0)317 484821
Email: bart@malaria-world.com
Graham Strachan
Director
Ultimate Agri-Products
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 (0)3 9701 0544
Mobile: +61 (0)409 250 240
Fax: +61 (0)3 9701 0655
Email: graham@ultimateagri.com.au
SOURCE: Ultimate Agri-Products
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