Declared a global health emergency in February, the Zika virus is one of the most serious health epidemics facing the world this year.
Pregnant women are most at risk from the disease, as it has been linked to significant birth defects.
With no vaccine currently available, the best prevention against the virus right now is protection against bites from the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that transmits the disease.
Brazil is one of the areas hardest hit by the virus, with more than 4,800 suspected and confirmed cases in the country. With reported cases of the virus continuing to grow, two marketing agencies in Brazil came up with a very innovative way to tackle the problem – a mosquito-killing billboard.
The billboard attracts mosquitos by releasing a mixture of a lactic acid solution that mimics the smell of human sweat and carbon dioxide, which is found in human breath.
Once the mosquitos land on the billboard, they are trapped inside it and eventually die due to dehydration.
The strong solution can attract insects from as far away as 2.5km, killing hundreds of the deadly Zika-carrying mosquitos every day.
So far, two of the ‘Mosquito Killer Billboards’ have been installed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its inventors have now released the blueprint for free and are encouraging people to replicate the billboard in cities around the world.
See the killer billboards at work:
Much like La Trobe University’s dancing billboard, this shows how a simple activation can have a powerful impact.