An app called the VectorCam was developed by Dr Soumya Acharya and his team of bioengineers at John Hopkins University. AI was trained to identify different species of mosquitoes and differentiate them based on their feeding habits, appearance and other characteristics such as the sex and whether it is in egg-breeding stage or blood-fed stage to effectively surveillance the area for any particular species that are causing dengue. This requires a lens attached and after taking a picture the in-built AI will identify the species. People who are responsible for collecting the mosquitoes and identifying them in a lab and putting them on the local health systems are called vector control officers. They also work with the local health hospitals to distribute this data.
This technology is currently undergoing trials in the Adjumani and Mayuge districts of Uganda. They hope that this will aid in the fight against malaria. With this information, health systems are updated in a matter of seconds. There is also no need for an experienced entomologist to identify the species. They have received support from Uganda’s malaria control program, Makerere University and the Gates Foundation to make this mission possible.
Credit: https://youtu.be/1GTTaWPl2ZE?si=6iMA0pT7yYNmtj1U
Recommended Reads: https://www.gatesnotes.com/Great-news-for-mosquito-haters?WT.mc_id=20240818100000_Mosquito-Week-2024_BG-YT
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