Eave tubes for malaria control in Africa: an introduction

Abstract

In spite of massive progress in the control of African malaria since the turn of the century, there is a clear and recognized need for additional tools beyond long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) of insecticides, to progress towards elimination. Moreover, widespread and intensifying insecticide resistance requires alternative control agents and delivery systems to enable development of effective insecticide resistance management strategies. This series of articles presents a novel concept for malaria vector control, the ‘eave tube’, which may fulfil these important criteria. From its conceptualization to laboratory and semi-field testing, to demonstration of potential for implementation, the stepwise development of this new vector control approach is described. These studies suggest eave tubes (which comprise a novel way of delivering insecticides plus screening to make the house more ‘mosquito proof’) could be a viable, cost-effective, and acceptable control tool for endophilic and endophagic anophelines, and possibly other (nuisance) mosquitoes. The approach could be applicable in a wide variety of housing in sub-Saharan Africa, and possibly beyond, for vectors that use the eave as their primary house entry point. The results presented in these articles were generated during an EU-FP7 funded project, the mosquito contamination device (MCD) project, which ran between 2012 and 2015. This was a collaborative project undertaken by vector biologists, product developers, modellers, materials scientists, and entrepreneurs from five different countries.

Integrating Models of Diffusion and Behavior to Predict Innovation Adoption, Maintenance, and Social Diffusion

“…In 2012, a diverse group of researchers developed a novel means to reduce people’s exposure to bites from mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite (Knols et al, 2016). They used insights into mosquito and human behavior to improve household protection against mosquitoes and to create a new system for delivering insecticides.…”

“…They used insights into mosquito and human behavior to improve household protection against mosquitoes and to create a new system for delivering insecticides. In brief (for more details, see Knols et al, 2016), infectious mosquitos are predominantly nocturnal and feed indoors. Housing in Africa is changing to include more durable materials (e.g., from thatch to metal roofs) and to seal open eaves (the space between the top of the wall and the roof).…”

“…The eave tubes provide air circulation, ambient light, and a conduit for people’s odors to exit the house. Mosquitos are drawn to those odors, and then make contact with the insecticide in the tube (Knols et al, 2016). As such, the approach essentially turns the house into a ‘lethal lure’ that not only reduces the entry of mosquitoes but also kills them as they search around the house and attempt to enter via the eave tubes (Sternberg et al, 2016).…”

Priorities for Broadening the Malaria Vector Control Tool Kit

“…Eave tubes are pieces of PVC pipe that can be fitted to partially re-open the eaves. The eave tubes contain an insert comprising insecticide treated netting that kills mosquitoes as they attempt to enter the house through the tubes [62,63]. An electrostatic coating on the insert screening allows for the use of powder formulations of insecticides, a delivery method that is highly effective even against resistant mosquitoes [64].…”

Implicating Cryptic and Novel Anophelines as Malaria Vectors in Africa

“…A number of development efforts for new control measures are underway to address the challenges and limitations of IRS. These include approaches such as durable insecticide-treated wall liners and plastic sheets [134,135,136,137], methods to screen houses [138,139], eave coverings and eave tubes treated with insecticidal agents [140,141,142,143], and spatial repellents [144]. In creating vector control product profiles for a locality, identifying vector species, their biological and behavioral susceptibilities, and determining how and to what extent they contribute to malaria transmission remains essential.…”