Thoroughly bugged-and fighting it

Malaria affects more than 200 million people each year and killed more than 600,000 in 2010, most of them in Africa, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is on the front line of the fight against malaria, conducting research on biomedical and environmental aspects of mosquito-borne illness, drug trials, vaccine development, diagnostics and a range of other issues. IHI wanted screen material structures to expand study capacity without losing mosquitoes to the greater world. Phifer Incorporated, Tuscaloosa, Ala., offered an 18–14 fiberglass insect screening that met IHI’s need for strong and durable material with a specific mesh count and UV resistance.

Woven from glass yarn, Phifer’s fiberglass screen material is coated with protective vinyl to ensure lasting color and flexibility. It will not rust, corrode or stain. “The screen houses allow us to test our eradication techniques in a ‘natural’ and safe environment with uninfected mosquitoes,” says Jason Moore, IHI project manager. The fiberglass screening has a wire diameter of .007 to .019 inches and mesh count per square inch of 56 x 45 to keep mosquitoes contained.

More information is available at Phifer’s Engineered Products web page.