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Research Article
Mahmoud Abdelkader
National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo University
Corresponding Author
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Malaria is a life-threatening infectious disease transmitted through the bite of the Anopheles mosquito; hence, it could be prevented by a proper vector control. To date, this could be achieved by controlling adult mosquitoes using synthetic chemicals such as DDT for indoor residual spraying (IRS) and pyrethroid-treated bed nets. These approaches possess potential toxicities; therefore, a new ecologically safe technology for vector control was developed in this study.
Methods
Small-scale field studies were performed in the swamp with anopheline larvae from different sub-saharan countries, such as Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. Photodynamic control of anopheles larvae was employed using a chlorophyll derivative, pheophorbide-a (Ph-a) as a photosensitizer and sunlight as a light source. This could interrupt the life cycle of the Anopheles mosquitoes from the larval stage, which induces the interruption of the malaria disease cycle.
Results
Ph-a accumulates in the larval body and upon sunlight exposure, it induces oxidative stress, which causes 85 to 100% larval death 24 hours after treatment with Ph-a. This photosensitizer’s effect persisted up to 21 days in the new generations in the same breeding site (residual effect). It is a target selective formula that has shown no effect on the other beneficial organisms in the breeding site.
Conclusions
This technique was found to be both effective and highly selective. It achieved a high mortality rate of mosquito larvae, while maintaining the highest levels of human safety and environmental friendliness.
Keywords
Field study, Pheophorbide-a, Photodynamic technique, Malaria vector control
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No competing interests reported.
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A new preprint design is coming!
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This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Research Article
Mahmoud Abdelkader
National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo University
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
Version 1
Posted 26 May, 2021
No community comments so far
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Infectious Diseases
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Malaria is a life-threatening infectious disease transmitted through the bite of the Anopheles mosquito; hence, it could be prevented by a proper vector control. To date, this could be achieved by controlling adult mosquitoes using synthetic chemicals such as DDT for indoor residual spraying (IRS) and pyrethroid-treated bed nets. These approaches possess potential toxicities; therefore, a new ecologically safe technology for vector control was developed in this study.
Methods
Small-scale field studies were performed in the swamp with anopheline larvae from different sub-saharan countries, such as Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. Photodynamic control of anopheles larvae was employed using a chlorophyll derivative, pheophorbide-a (Ph-a) as a photosensitizer and sunlight as a light source. This could interrupt the life cycle of the Anopheles mosquitoes from the larval stage, which induces the interruption of the malaria disease cycle.
Results
Ph-a accumulates in the larval body and upon sunlight exposure, it induces oxidative stress, which causes 85 to 100% larval death 24 hours after treatment with Ph-a. This photosensitizer’s effect persisted up to 21 days in the new generations in the same breeding site (residual effect). It is a target selective formula that has shown no effect on the other beneficial organisms in the breeding site.
Conclusions
This technique was found to be both effective and highly selective. It achieved a high mortality rate of mosquito larvae, while maintaining the highest levels of human safety and environmental friendliness.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
No competing interests reported.
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