dengue and yellow fever mosqui- ded by humans to bring their Innovative monitoring
toes under the microscope. They young into the world; they are systems for combating
were interested in female mosqui- quite happy to use even small disease
toes after they had sucked blood quantities of water, in discarded If used in the right trap, both
from humans. After an incubation plastic beakers, bottles, broken aroma cocktails can significantly
period lasting several days, the drainpipes, tyres left out in the improve the efficiency of monito-
female mosquito goes on the hunt open, plants using hydroponic ring systems. The synthetic host
for a suitable place to lay its eggs. (soil-less) growing media, watering aroma works particularly well in a
cans, rainwater collection tubs, etc. special ventilator trap (also devel-
We mainly still have the Aedes oped in Regensburg and currently
aegypti mosquito to thank for pas- Mosquitoes go about identifying being patented) which optimises
sing on yellow fever and dengue. good oviposition sites the same the emission of odours. By way of
But we have also had to start loo- way they look for a host – by contrast, the oviposition attractant
king out for its close relative, the using their sense of smell. Water requires a plastic container filled
Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albo- rich in the nutrients needed by with water, coated on the inside
pictus, which has joined its cousin mosquito larvae has a distinctive with a special adhesive which grabs
in spreading these diseases world- smell, so this is what mosquitoes onto the mosquitoes. This captu-
wide – and not only in tropical and look for to lay their eggs in. In the ring device is also registered for
sub-tropical regions, since they can laboratory in Belo Horizonte, patent and is highly economical to
also survive at cooler latitudes: in scientists therefore started by produce. Outdoor testing in Brazil
shows that the best strategy to
monitor mosquitoes is to use both
systems together.
on an early warning system de- relatively small amounts of money the current capturing device and
signed to pinpoint dengue fever, – can help us move a significant scientists’ experience in the devel-
using the same type of technology. way forward in the battle against opment process, a number of dif-
Further testing is in the pipeline disease. ferent types of trap are being devel-
later in the year in North America, oped for launching on consumer
Europe, Africa and Asia. These New products in the fight markets. Each will be targeted at
against mosquitoes –
tests will be looking at the first in business and consumer different price segments and sub-
batch of a new type of monitoring markets markets. From straightforward ad-
trap. Highly effective lures and mosquito hesive traps with time-release aro-
traps are not only useful instruments mas, to high performance devices
To update, refine and market the in the battle against disease. They for professional mosquito hunters
new capturing devices efficiently, can prove interesting to anybody in hotel grounds and parks, the new
two university spin-off companies trying to shoo away the irritating technology opens up completely
were set up at the beginning of airborne pest without damaging the new avenues in capturing unwan-
2003 – one in Belo Horizonte, the environment. In the United States ted mosquitoes – without dam-
other in Regensburg, and each lin- in particular, there have been a aging the environment, when and
ked up commercially to the other. variety of mosquito traps launched where it is needed.
The Brazilian company, Ecovec in recent years, targeted at the con-
Ltda focuses on the public health sumer market. Apart from a num-
sector in South America; the Ger- ber of totally ineffective electro-
man company, BioGents GmbH, cution devices with light sources,
manages Europe, North America, most consumers plump for traps
Asia and the remaining internatio- using propane gas to attract mos-
nal markets. The combination of quitoes by generating carbon di-
laboratory and outdoor testing, the oxide, heat and moisture. These
complementary blend of expertise traps cost anywhere between 300
provided by the two research and 1300 US dollars; last year the
teams, and their tried-and-tested US market for such capturing de-
ability to work together closely vices was worth 650 million dollars.
(despite the long distances in- The consumer can clearly see the
volved) point to a promising future benefit of the methods used by
for the joint venture. these inventions: to catch the little
bloodsuckers before they sting you,
It is also a good example of an thus helping control the overall
attractive and inexpensive alterna- population.
tive to the types of preventative Contact:
medicines used in vaccination pro- As with the monitoring trap descri- Dr. Andreas Rose
grams, or the proposed release of bed above, these traps use carbon
genetically engineered vectors. For dioxide and other more generic
decades, bodies have channelled lures, mainly because there are no
colossal research funds into the alternatives. As a result, the initial
development of vaccinations to outlay and running costs are high.
fight malaria and dengue. We have They are also limited to areas out-
still yet to find one that works. In side the home because they use Dr. Martin Geier
recent years, we have also wit- explosive and poisonous gases. In
nessed intensified efforts to find a laboratory settings and outdoor
solution for combating these di- testing, scientists have found that
seases with genetically engineered the mosquito capturing device
mosquitoes. This has been a simi- from Regensburg with the human
lar drain on technology research aroma frequently outperforms – or
funding, even though many experts at least matches – propane gas dri-
BioGents GmbH
have expressed their doubts about ven traps. With the new lure, the
the technology. This contrasts to manufacturing costs of capturing Universitätsstraße 31
targeted research in the field of devices can be slashed to one tenth D-93053 Regensburg/Germany
chemical ecology and the sensory of current levels. They are also Tel./Fax +49 (0)941 / 943 3064
biogents@biogents.com
ecology of mosquitoes, which – for much easier to handle. Based on