Ultrasonic Technology Applied against Mosquito Larvae

Kandasamy Kalimuthu,Giovanni Benelli,Chellasamy Panneerselvam,Jiang-Shiou Hwang,Al Thabiani Aziz,Li-Chun Tseng,Kadarkarai Murugan

doi:10.3390/app10103546

Abstract

The effective management of mosquito vectors is a timely challenge for medical and veterinary entomology. In this study, we evaluated the acoustic Larvasonic device to control young instars of the mosquito Aedes aegypti in diverse freshwater environments. Under laboratory conditions, we investigated the effect of exposure time and distance from the transducer on the mortality of larvae and pupae of Ae. aegypti. Furthermore, we evaluated the effectiveness of the ultrasound window of the electromagnetic spectrum under different field conditions. Results showed that first and second instar larvae were more sensitive to the frequency range of 18–30 kHz of the Larvasonic device. Ultrasonic waves applied for 180 s at a frequency from 18 to 30 kHz caused 100% larval mortality at a distance of 60 cm from the transducer. No mortality was observed in the non-target copepod Megacyclops formosanus. The exposure to the soundwaves produced by the acoustic larvicidal device over different distances effectively damaged Ae. aegypti through destruction of the larval dorsal tracheal trunk, thorax and abdomen. Overall, results indicated that the Larvasonic device tested can provide an alternative tool to reduce young instar populations of Ae. aegypti, without any effects on non-target aquatic invertebrates like copepods. It turned out to be a useful device for mosquito biocontrol. This technology has a relevant potential to fight the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

Highlights

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) transmit several of the most relevant life-threatening infectious diseases worldwide, including malaria, different types of encephalitis, lymphatic filariasis, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, as well as Zika and dengue virus [1,2,3,4,5].Recently, chikungunya and Zika virus emerged as two mosquito-borne viral diseases of major public health concern [6,7,8]
We evaluated the efficacy of the Larvasonic apparatus based on ultrasound technology against Ae. aegypti larval instars developing in diverse aquatic breeding sites in Taiwan
This study provided three main results achieved through the employment of the Larvasonic device against Ae. aegypti young instars: (i) both the distance from the source of acoustic waves and the exposure time significantly affected mosquito larval mortality; (ii) the efficacy of the Larvasonic device was high even in the field over various Aedes breeding sites; and (iii) we did not detect negative impacts on the non-target copepod species M. formosanus, which is of interest for providing additional biological predatory control of mosquito larvae

Summary

Introduction

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) transmit several of the most relevant life-threatening infectious diseases worldwide, including malaria, different types of encephalitis, lymphatic filariasis, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, as well as Zika and dengue virus [1,2,3,4,5]. Chikungunya and Zika virus emerged as two mosquito-borne viral diseases of major public health concern [6,7,8]. They are vectored by Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse). A Flavivirus (Flaviviridae) mainly transmitted by the mosquito Ae. aegypti, is causing dengue fever, with significant human morbidity and mortality worldwide [9,10,11].

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Discussion

Conclusion