Coolable 3D Printed Canister Could Help Prevent the Spread of Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes

Do you know what the most dangerous animal on the planet is? Contrary to common expectations it is not lions, hippos, sharks or any other predator creators. Rather, it is the common mosquito. On average, mosquitos kill about 750,000 people per year due to the diseases that they carry. This is why stopping them has become a priority worldwide, but many solutions are also toxic. Now researchers claim to have created a coolable 3D printed canister that can mass sterilize Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, thus significantly reducing their spread and therefore the harm that they can do, all in a more sustainable way.

Aedes aegypti, which is more commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito, is known for spreading dengue fever, zika and yellow fever, among other serious diseases. Moreover, though it originated in Africa, it can now be found in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions worldwide, greatly increasing its range and ability to cause havoc. For example, in the United States, the CDC estimates that Aedes aegypti can live and reproduce across most of the south of the country, up to New Jersey and going all the way to California. Meanwhile, in Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has put out bulletins warning about the northwards and westwards spread of the mosquito as summers are becoming longer and warming and flooding is becoming more frequent.

The range of the yellow fever mosquito (Image Credits: Samson Leta, Tariku Jibat Beyene, Eva M. De Clercq, Kebede Amenu, Moritz U.G. Kraemer, Crawford W. Revie, International Journal of Infectious Diseases)

This is a cause for serious concern, as the diseases that are spread are not easy to combat. Andrea Ammon, ECDC Director, further explained, “In recent years we have seen a geographical spread of invasive mosquito species to previously unaffected areas in the EU/EEA. If this continues, we can expect to see more cases and possibly deaths from diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses and, under certain circumstances*, West Nile virus. Efforts need to focus on ways to control mosquito populations, enhancing surveillance and enforcing personal protective measures.”