Two researchers went out on Monday near the house where the infections happened to catch mosquitoes and mosquito larvae. The research was not aimed at finding the mosquito that infected the couple or finding other exotic malaria mosquitoes. After all, that chance is virtually impossible. The researchers do want to find out which types of mosquitoes occur in the area and whether there are types of the species Anopheles, the species that is able to spread malaria if they can first sting someone who has malaria. On the one hand, the researchers searched the house of the deceased couple for live and dead mosquitoes and, on the other hand, placed a trap in the garden with a bait. Also in the Torfbroek nature reserve, mosquito larvae were searched for in various possible breeding grounds, such as tree hollows, swamps, ponds and objects containing rainwater. “The mosquito catch that the scientists at ITM are going to do will most likely teach us nothing more about the death of the couple. After all, we are convinced that this was a single mosquito that was flown over and is already dead, ”says doctor Wim Van Bortel of ITM. The results are expected in a few weeks.
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