Federico Gaona, who was at the UIB years ago, received the MIT Technology Review Award for researchers under 35 years
The University of the Balearic Islands, through the research group ACSIC, directed and coordinated the cooperation project Automated Detection of reinfestation by Triatoma infestans (in three phases) by which Federico Gaona of the National University of Asuncion (Paraguay) has obtained the MIT Technology Review 2016 award.
The project, started in 2011, promoted the creation and implementation of a network of sensors to attract the insect 'vinchuca', vector of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi who causes a very dangerous disease. Those affected are people living in rural villages that lack the resources to combat them, the use of insecticides being the main weapon against the spread of the disease. Popularly known as mal de Chagas is an endemic disease in Latin America, the most important parasitic disease in the area, with numbers of infected hovering between six and eight million people, according to the World Health Organization, who include it in their list of poverty-related diseases. 50,000 people die every year and many more enter a chronic phase of the disease, with possible cardiac and digestive disorders. Although there is a cure, it is only effective if administered in the early stages of the disease.
Currently the sensor network is monitored and sending signals to the databases of the university in Asuncion, where the affected villages by this insect are more than 800Km. Sensors finally set properly in the laboratory of the University of Asuncion, attract and trap the insect Triatoma infestans ('vinchuca' - kissing bug) preventing affecting people. This clever trap may be used to alert the authorities about the insect and thus proceed to make a new fumigated in the area.
"Vinchucas are attracted to certain pheromones, so we use these substances to attract them to the trap," explains Gaona. "The advantage of the system is that it is resistant to temperature and aridity present in the Chaco zone, while cheaper and consumes less energy than other based video recording systems."
More information at: MIT Technology Review
Event date: 21/09/2016
Publication date: Wed Sep 21 08:27:00 CEST 2016