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Macaque monkeys spread a type of malaria parasite.
Macaque monkeys spread a type of malaria parasite.
Researchers on the island of Borneo are using flying robots to map out areas affected by a type of malaria parasite (Plasmodium knowlesi), which most commonly infects macaque monkeys. In recent years, public health officials in the Malaysian state of Sabah have seen a rise in the number of cases of humans infected with this deadly parasite which is spread, via mosquitos, from macaques to people.
By mapping the communities where these cases occur, researchers hope to figure out why the parasite is spreading from monkeys to people with greater frequency, said Chris Drakeley, a professor of infection and immunity at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom, and one of the researchers involved in the project.
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Unmanned aerial vehicles can collect detailed information in real time at relatively low cost for ecological research.
Unmanned aerial vehicles can collect detailed information in real time at relatively low cost for ecological research.
"What we're doing is creating a detailed map, which we can then superimpose or overlay with the human and the macaque movement," Drakeley told Live Science. The movement patterns of both monkeys and humans were derived from GPS data. Locals were asked to carry around GPS tracking devices, while certain macaques were fitted with GPS collars.
The hope is that this GPS data will help the researchers pinpoint where humans and macaques are most likely to interact, and the drones will show the researchers what these areas look like and help them figure out why both species might be drawn to those areas.
Comment: While the U.S. is breaking international laws using (autonomous?) armed drones to indiscriminately hunt and kill its "enemies" and innocent victims, using reaper drones to gather intelligence or RPA (remotely piloted aircraft) for domestic surveillance, others are using the technology for intelligent and humanitarian purposes: tracking property damage from catastrophes, hunting for survivors, as a tool for research, and as a network for transport (such as medical supplies or lab samples between rural clinics) which aims to help millions of people who do not have year-round ground access or services. A different kind of road, a different kind of bridge.