Change the environment to fight malaria

Changing the environment by using everything from shovels and plows to plant-based pesticides can act as curtains and vaccinations in the fight against malaria, according to a machine analysis. calculated by MIT researchers.

Researchers have developed a new computer model to analyze methods to control the spread of malaria, one of the most devastating diseases in the world. Their findings suggest that environmental measures, such as leveling the ground to remove depressions that can form pools and ponds, may be an important part of the strategy to control this disease.

The research report, conducted by Professor of Environmental Engineering Elfatih Eltahir and graduate students Arne Bomblies and Rebecca Gianotti, was presented at the meeting of the American Geophysical Association in San Francisco.

Eltahir explains that 'Malaria is a global challenge' that causes one-third of deaths in children under 5 years old . By developing new software to analyze the impact of methods to limit the spread of malaria, including the complex transfer chain between larvae, mosquitoes and humans, 'we can achieve cities Significant achievements in controlling this disease.

MIT Mustafa Dafalla '09 student collected water samples in a pond in Niger to check malaria larvae. (Photo: Arne Bomblies) While most efforts against malaria focus on human aspects, such as vaccine development, Eltahir said efforts to control environmental factors - such as type Leaving low-lying areas where ponds can form during the rainy season, or using locally grown plant materials to limit the growth of mosquitoes - can have a significant impact on controlling spread. wide of malaria. And unlike expensive imported drugs, the method can be based on local efforts, as simple as calling people to use shovels to fill the depressions.

'By using local labor and tools, our method does not rely on high-tech outsiders'.

In addition, the new complete computer model will provide a tool for analyzing how the risk of malaria in different areas will be affected by climate change.

To test the accuracy of the computer model, the team has been working for the past four years in a remote area of ​​Niger, in the Sahel desert region of northern Africa. Eltahir explains: 'Africa is a hot spot for malaria, so this practical work provides an accurate assessment of our model'.

Bomblies and others have examined all aspects of the malaria germ cycle, including counting mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes , identifying mosquito species correctly (because only a certain species contains a fever parasite. cold), and topographic charting as well as controlling the size and duration of pools or ponds where mosquitoes breed. Bomblies said: 'We gather information that can test the validity of the model we are developing'.

Eliminating stagnant puddles, or strengthening drainage systems so that such puddles exist less than 7 to 10 days, the period of adult mosquitoes, can be an effective strategy. In addition, it allows comparing different methods. Filling the dimples using shovels, or tilling the soil so that water can penetrate the soil faster is also effective ways to control this disease.

This is not a new idea, but new software provides quantitative methods to compare its impact with other methods, and to develop specific strategies for a certain area. Bomblies, who led practical research in Niger for 13 months, said: 'Filling in low positions is a long-standing technique. However, it has never been applied specifically to any region. '

Unlike other methods such as vaccines or curtain use, our method has a long-term impact.

Other methods that the team has studied include spreading seeds of neem, a local plant, in ponds.This can reduce the number of mosquitoes by 50%.

Eltahir said: 'This is the first time we have a detailed computer model of all the factors in the spread of the disease. By running detailed simulations of many strategies, we can do a lot of things, in this area or somewhere, that we can't do in the past. It allows us to work in a more cost-effective way. '

The project is funded by the national marine and human health program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation.