Finding Disease Carriers the Easy Way

September 26, 2018

Researchers at University of Texas are making surveillance of certain disease carrying mosquito species quick and easy.

They have created a device users will be able to determine a mosquito belongs to the Aedes aegypti species, which can carry the Zika virus, dengue, chikungunya or yellow fever.

In the future, researchers want the device to be able to identify whether a mosquito is carrying specific diseases, such as Zika or West Nile virus.

By crushing a dead mosquito and adding a chemical mixture and after a half-hour dwell time the blend is poured into a special 3-D printed box. LED lights are then used to see fi the mixture glows green. If so, the mosquito belongs to the species mentioned above.

The goal is to make it small and friendly enough to be used by anyone, making the surveillance of mosquitoes a faster and cheaper experience and it would allow surveillance to be done in a much more regular and widespread manner.

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