Indoor residual spraying (IRS) is a vector control tool used to reduce the occurrence of indoor biting, primarily of endophilic mosquitoes and sandflies. It comprises of an insecticide formulation that is sprayed onto the walls of homes, targeting insect that rest on the surface. For testing various IRS combinations LITE can treat potential IRS surfaces with accurate concentrations of an active ingredient (AI) and even surface coverage. Introduced to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in 2018, the track sprayer instrumentation is designed to accurately spray IRS combinations onto various surfaces. Tiles, filter paper, mud plates and larger panels can be coated in the spraying chamber. The track sprayer can be used to investigate spraying technique alongside the insecticide applied.
Historically, the Potter Spray Tower was the only tool available to LITE for applying IRS chemistries to various surfaces and is the current WHO standard for doing so. Developed at Rothamsted Research, the Potter Spray Tower is an effective tool for spraying small surfaces (max 9cm), however it is limited in its uses and is time consuming to calibrate, which is required for every chemical.
The track sprayer instrumentation is currently passing through validation stages at LITE. Once validation is complete the track sprayer will be a vital tool in the investigation of IRS techniques and insecticides.