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. 2016 Aug 11;15(1):404.
doi: 10.1186/s12936-016-1452-x.

Eave tubes for malaria control in Africa: an introduction

Bart G J Knols  1 , Marit Farenhorst  2 , Rob Andriessen  2 , Janneke Snetselaar  2 , Remco A Suer  2 , Anne J Osinga  2 , Johan M H Knols  2 , Johan Deschietere  3 , Kija R Ng'habi  4 , Issa N Lyimo  4 , Stella T Kessy  4 , Valeriana S Mayagaya  4 , Sergej Sperling  5 , Michael Cordel  5 , Eleanore D Sternberg  6 , Patrick Hartmann  3 , Ladslaus L Mnyone  4 , Andreas Rose  5 , Matthew B Thomas  6
Affiliations

Eave tubes for malaria control in Africa: an introduction

Bart G J Knols et al. Malar J. .

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.

Keywords: Africa; Eave tube; House modification; Malaria elimination; Resistance; Vector control.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Changes in house design, Hamdalai village, The Gambia. Using Google earth imagery it can clearly be seen that the proportion of houses with corrugated iron sheet roofing in 2004 (red dots) has increased over the last decade both within the village and at its periphery (2014; yellow dots). This phenomenon is prevalent across Africa
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Changes in house design, Kilombero Valley, southern Tanzania. Traditional mud wall and grass thatch houses (a) are being replaced by grass thatch and (burnt) brick wall houses (b) and subsequently corrugated iron sheet roofing is installed (c)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The eave tube concept. a African anophelines fly upwind in host odour plumes (blue line) and enter houses through the gap between the roof and the walls, the eave (red circle); drawing modified after [44]. b A house in southern Tanzania fitted with eave tubes and rendered mosquito-proof through fitting of window screening and sealing of the eaves. The house modification comprises: 1 Closing the eaves, 2 Installation of eave tubes, 3 Fitting of window screening, 4 Repairs of the door (where necessary), and 5 Closing of cracks and holes. c Eave tube inserts (stack on the left), fitted with insecticide-treated netting that fit inside PVC pipes. Development of this insert is described in Snetselaar et al. [pers. comm.]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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