Malaysian engineers have invented a street light that traps mosquitoes with fake human scent.
The succinctly-named Eco-Greenergy Self-Sustained Outdoor Lighting with Mosquito Trap and Flood Emergency Warning Transmission System uses a special chemical that replicates the smell of humans.
Dr Chong Wen Tong from University Malaya says the trap attracts mosquitoes that like ultraviolet light.
"Mosquitoes are attracted to light and heat like the temperature of the human body. So we coated the light with the special chemical," he said.
"When UV light interacts with the special chemical, it will release a small amount of CO2 to lure mosquitoes. It creates the scent that the human body releases when breathing,”
Dr Chong said another feature of the streetlight is it can be powered by wind and solar energy, meaning it can still be used in floods when mains power has to be switched off.
"The battery or storage, wiring system and controller are placed near the top portion and can still function even when the flood level is 4m, depending on how high the post is.
"A sensor can be integrated and hidden inside the hollow pole (to prevent vandalism) to sense the flood water level and transmit warning signal to search and rescue centres," he said.
"The excess power can also be used to power the mosquito trap that can be integrated to the pole.”
Chong said they're still investigating the effectiveness of the scent but currently it is most effective on the Aedes mosquito. the known carrier of the dengue virus.
Malaysia is experiencing an increased number of dengue cases with 120,836 recorded last year compared to 108,698 cases in 2014
The Malaysian Health Ministry has warned that hot weather can spur Aedes mosquito activity and that the El Nino phenomenon this year may increase dengue cases by 50%.
"Everyone is worried about dengue and the Zika virus. Now we have created a mosquito-trapping street light," said Chong.
"Even if it does not solve the problem 100%, at least it can have a 30% to 50% impact. That can make a huge difference to people.”
Photo:FreeImages.com/Sergio Sanchez