pre-outbreak prediction; Artificial intelligence and public reporting in the service of prevention

Using artificial intelligence and citizen science, researchers managed to identify a case that may be the first example of Anopheles stephensi mosquito in Madagascar. This mosquito is an invasive species and a deadly carrier of malaria. This study, led by Ryan Carney and Sriram Chelapan, shows how AI-based image recognition and public engagement can revolutionize global disease surveillance.

According to the medical technology department of Tekna news media, This discovery It shows how the combination of mobile technology and machine learning can fill critical surveillance gaps for vector-borne diseases. Anopheles stephensi is a growing threat across Africa because, unlike native Anopheles mosquitoes that thrive in naturally stagnant water, this species adapts well to urban environments and artificial containers such as tires and buckets.

The spread of this mosquito alone could put an additional 126 million people in Africa at risk of malaria. The scientific breakthrough was achieved through a photo submitted by local residents in Antananarivo via NASA’s GLOBE Observer application. The image, which showed a mosquito larva in a tire, was later analyzed by artificial intelligence algorithms.

This artificial intelligence system was trained on thousands of verified images of mosquitoes. The system identified the larva in the image as Anopheles stephensi with more than 99% certainty. To confirm this classification, more than 100 other Anopheles larvae were discovered on the same day near that place and in similar artificial containers, although no photos were taken of them.

Although the official diagnosis requires genetic testing, which is no longer possible due to the immediate loss of specimens, if this identification is correct, this would be the first evidence of Anopheles stephensi in Madagascar. In the same year, malaria cases and deaths in this country doubled.

Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals on the planet and they infect more than 700 million people with various pathogens every year. Malaria remains the deadliest of these diseases, killing nearly half a million children under the age of five each year. Carney and Chelapan emphasized that the implications of this research go far beyond Africa.

The need for vigilance and active monitoring of malaria vectors within countries has become increasingly important. In 2023, the United States saw its first local outbreak of malaria in two decades. This study shows that smartphone photos collected by citizens can serve as powerful early warning data to combat this growing threat.

Mosquitoes can be thought of as tiny flying hypodermic needles, but only 3% of species transmit disease to humans, explained Ryan Carney. Thanks to citizen science applications, it is possible to collect photos of mosquitoes and analyze them with artificial intelligence to increase the identification of those pathogenic needles in the haystack.

Early detection of Anopheles stephenii is critical, but traditional surveillance methods often ignore it. To solve this problem, researchers developed new artificial intelligence tools similar to facial recognition technology that can identify larvae and adult mosquitoes from smartphone photos. These algorithms are trained on thousands of verified images of different mosquito species.

This study is a successful example of multidisciplinary collaboration in different academic departments. The researchers are now looking to develop and deploy hardware inspired by their software. They plan to build an AI-powered smart trap to remotely detect Anopheles stephensi and other disease-carrying mosquitoes in Florida and beyond.

Chelapan added that artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in many aspects of public health, and mosquito monitoring is a very important area globally and for Florida. He expressed hope that they are pioneering the next generation of surveillance systems for public health aimed at combating mosquito-borne diseases.