Researchers develop a tool to check chikungunya: here's everything you need to know

New York: The researchers have come up with a tool that attracts and captures female mosquitoes looking for a nesting site, which could in the future help fight the chikungunya virus. The study, published in the journal PLOS, shows that the Gravid Ovitrap autoclinal (AGP trap) effectively protected people against chikungunya virus infection in Puerto Rico.

"AGO traps are a new, chemical-free, effective approach to controlling Aedes aegypti populations (mosquitoes against yellow fever) and protecting against infections by the pathogens that these mosquitoes transmit," US researchers said. and disease prevention (CDC). . "Further badessments should determine if AGO traps are durable and effective in large-scale community trials," they said.

The lack of effective tools to control Aedes aegypti mosquito populations has resulted in the continued expansion of dengue virus, zika virus and chikungunya virus.

For the study, the researchers randomly selected 290 households from Puerto Rican communities that had undergone AGO trapping and 349 households from communities that did not have AGO traps. Of the intervention communities, 175 household members were badyzed and 152 from non-intervention communities.

Blood samples were taken from each participant to detect chikungunya virus infection. Surveys were also conducted, which included demographic data, as well as data on the use of an insect repellent, mosquito net bed and mosquito bites frequency.

A total of 114 participants (34.9%) were seropositive for the chikungunya virus. Of the people who spent most of their days in the community where they lived, 10.3% were positive for chikungunya virus in communities with AGO traps, while 48.7% were positive for chikungunya virus in communities without traps.

Among all participants, including those who spent less time in the daylight in the community, 26.1% were positive for chikungunya virus in the intervention communities and 43.8% were positive in the community. communities without a trap.