Tamil Nadu   

ICMR to patent mosquito trap

MADURAI: In what could be a significant breakthrough in containing the incidence of chikungunya and dengue, the Centre for Research in Medical Entomology (CRME), a premier laboratory of the Indian Council of Medical Research here, has developed a new technology to trap infected mosquitoes.

The ‘OVI Trap’ or simply the ‘egg trapping device’ is an indigenous technology conceived and developed by a team of scientists led by senior entomologist, B.K. Tyagi. After studying the breeding sites, behaviour and vigour of chikungunya and dengue-transmitting mosquitoes, the scientists designed the mechanical trap to seize gravid (pregnant) mosquitoes.

“After successfully testing the device in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, we have forwarded it to the ICMR for obtaining patent. After successful patenting, the trap will be put to commercial use and made available to the common man,” Dr. Tyagi told The Hindu on Sunday.

The ‘OVI Trap’ would attract pregnant mosquitoes to lay eggs and confine them to the enclosure. Each trap could contain a maximum 300 mosquitoes. “The trapped mosquitoes, if not cleared for scientific investigation, will automatically die in confinement. Though such traps are available, this is an improvised version that takes into account the ecological system and targets particularly the ‘Aedes Albopictus’ mosquitoes that spread dengue.” The outbreak of these infections has a direct correlation to the density of female mosquitoes.

“By curbing the pregnant mosquitoes, we can minimise the mosquito population. Each mosquito lays about 200 eggs…nearly 50 per cent of the newborn are female mosquitoes again. It is like preventing the next generation mosquitoes.”

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