Jakarta, ThedailyID — Scientists have developed a special device that collects mosquito droppings to help detect viruses circulating in an area before human cases emerge. The technology could eventually support early warning systems for infectious disease outbreaks.
Researchers from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, United States, developed the device using 3D printing. Their study, published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum, explores how mosquito waste can provide genetic clues about viruses and other organisms in the environment.
The device resembles a funnel coated with a water-repellent material. This coating guides mosquito droppings into a collection tube underneath, allowing researchers to gather samples for laboratory analysis.
During the experiment, the team collected two groups of wild mosquitoes from the Culex genus. They placed the insects in containers above the funnel and fed them a sugar solution. Researchers then collected their droppings and examined the samples.
When mosquitoes consume sugar, they release metabolic waste that may contain genetic material from viruses and other organisms. Scientists can analyze this material through genome sequencing to identify the organisms present.
“We simply call it building a mosquito toilet,” Price said in a statement cited by The Print.
The researchers believe this approach could improve disease surveillance. Mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects transmit numerous diseases to humans and animals. Detecting pathogens in mosquito populations could therefore alert health officials before infections appear in people.
Early detection could also help authorities determine where to increase monitoring and prepare measures to limit disease transmission. However, the study describes an early-stage technology, and researchers are still developing traps suitable for use outside laboratory settings.
Price envisions placing the devices in forests and allowing them to transmit collected data automatically to researchers. Such a system could help scientists monitor pathogens in areas where direct surveillance presents challenges.
For now, the mosquito toilet remains under development. If researchers can adapt it for field use, mosquito droppings could become another source of information for tracking viruses and identifying potential outbreaks earlier.
