Traps catch mosquitoes that transmit Zika virus

The Argentine team developed a trap targeting Aedes aegypti, the mosquito responsible for the spread of Zika virus.

According to UPI, the trap consists of a chemical-soaked plastic cup that destroys pyriproxyfen larvae . When filled with water, low density polyethylene will release the larva-killing chemicals. Similar to the calm water surface, the cup gives mosquitoes an attractive place to lay eggs. The researchers describe the invention in the work published yesterday in the Journal of Medical Insects.

The cup catches mosquitoes to release chemicals that kill larvae when filled with water.(Artwork: AJ Sisco).

Pyriproxyfen is widely used to control the number of mosquitoes in tropical regions, but the latest invention promises to bring a more accurate method of killing mosquitoes. Larvae prevent the young from developing into a source of disease.

"This is a great idea. Pyriproxyfen can flow around the environment. Soaking it in plastic allows placing chemicals in the desired place , " said Grayson Brown, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky, USA. review

Previous research raises concerns about the link between pyriproxyfen and microcephaly, affecting the development of fetal head and brain due to Zika virus. However, scientists from the American Society of Insects said no link was found.

According to the team, the trap is not the optimal method, but still helps reduce the number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes . "This is a very powerful tool for controlling mosquitoes and we need all these useful tools," Brown said.