Crab shells and silver nanoparticles found to inhibit spread of malaria

In India, researchers have determined a spray made from chitosan from crab shells and silver nanoparticles is effective at preventing the proliferation of malaria-carrying mosquitos.

The spray, developed by researchers at Bharathiar University in Tamil Nadu and National Taiwan Ocean University, was sprayed over water reservoirs in Coimbatore. In addition to killing mosquito larvae and pupa effectively at low concentrations, it was also found to be safe for mosquito predators, like goldfishes.

“This research highlighted that chitosan-fabricated silver nanoparticles are easy to produce, stable over time,” says Jiang-Shiou Hwang of the National Taiwan Ocean University.“Hence it can be employed at low dosages to strongly reduce populations of the malaria vector, the Anopheles sundaicus mosquito without detrimental effects on the predation of natural mosquito enemies, such as goldfishes,” Hwang said.

The study was published in the journal Hydrobiologia.