Adding small amounts of liquid soap to certain pesticides can significantly increase their effectiveness against malaria-carrying mosquitoes, scientists found.
Research shows that combining liquid soap and neonicotinoid insecticides can boost their effectiveness more than tenfold.
The findings offer hope in efforts to tackle disease-carrying mosquitoes that have becoming increasingly resistant to insecticides.
The study, published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, was led by Dr Colince Kamdem and Dr Caroline Fouet of the University of Texas at El Paso.
“Mosquitoes have become strongly resistant to most insecticides over the past two decades,” said Dr Kamdem, the study's lead author.
“It's a race now to develop alternative compounds with new modes of action.”
Dr Fouet added that neonicotinoids are a promising alternative, "but their potency against certain mosquito species needs boosting".
“In this case, soap is the boosting substance," she said.
In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 deaths, the World Health Organisation reported.
The disease, prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, causes symptoms including fever, fatigue, headaches and chills.
Dr Kamdem, who previously worked at Cameroon’s Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, stumbled on the effectiveness of soap while conducting routine insecticide tests.
He observed more mosquito deaths when a seed oil-based product, a compound similar to kitchen soap, was added to insecticides.
This observation led to the testing of three low-cost, linseed-oil based soaps – Maitre Savon de Marseille, Carolin Savon Noir and La Perdrix Savon – with four different neonicotinoids.
“All three brands of soap increase mortality from 30 per cent to 100 per cent, compared to when the insecticides were used on their own,” said Ashu Fred, the study's first author and a PhD student at the University of Yaounde 1 in Cameroon.
The team reported no benefits when soap was added to pyrethroid insecticides. Despite this, the study opens new avenues in the fight against malaria.
“We would love to make a soap-insecticide formulation that can be used indoors in Africa and be healthy for users," Dr Kamdem said. “There are unknowns as to whether such a formulation will stick to materials like mosquito nets, but the challenge is both promising and very exciting.”
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
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