Destroying the eggs of disease-spreading mosquitoes in Guatemala’s jungles

There is increasing concern about mosquito-borne diseases and their rapid spread in vulnerable populations, amplified by the outbreaks of Zika virus in Latin America. Several methods have been employed for detecting the presence of mosquitoes in the field, but none have proven perfect. Standard ovitraps to monitor Aedes mosquitoes are large, one-litre black buckets filled with plain water or attractant solutions, along with a wooden strip or porous pellon paper (a tissue typically used on the back of furniture to prevent dust) on which the mosquito lands and lays its eggs.

This project will empower indigenous people in Sayaxche, Guatemala with knowledge and tools to use a modified “ovitrap” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovitrap) that effectively destroys mosquito eggs, thereby reducing malaria, dengue fever and other diseases.  In a pilot study last year in Mexico that used only 50 modified ovitraps, more than 350,000 mosquito eggs were destroyed during one year, representing a reduction of  70–80% of mosquito eggs compared to unmodified traps.

Destroying the eggs of disease-spreading mosquitoes in Guatemala’s jungles

Product Development
Vector Control

Oct 2014 — Apr 2016

Guatemala