Scanning mosquitoes with infrared light could help to control malaria

MALARIA KILLED 435,000 people last year, most of them in Africa. The parasite that causes the illness is carried by females of some, but not all, species of mosquitoes of the genus . An insect becomes infected by biting an infected human being. Over the course of ten to 12 days, the parasites then multiply inside her. Once this has happened she transmits them with her bite.The threat posed by an individual mosquito thus depends on its species, sex and age. Knowing these for lots of local insects gives a better idea of where, when and how to intervene in a particular place. If the locals are, for example, of a species that prefers to bite people inside houses, or to rest indoors after feeding, fumigating household interiors is the best approach. If not, it may be better to locate and disrupt breeding sites, using aerial spraying.