Mosquito traps laced with human scent help fight malaria

Dutch and Kenyan scientists have designed a unique mosquito trap which uses human odour to attract the malaria-carrying insects, helping cut the number of cases dramatically, researchers said Wednesday. A three-year study in Kenya found the special traps baited with synthetic smell helped to catch 70 percent of the local malaria mosquito population, and led to a 30 percent drop in cases in households using the devices. "The odour-baited trap may also offer a solution to diseases like dengue fever and the Zika virus," Wageningen University in The Netherlands, which led the research, said in a statement.