Fredros Okumu

Fredros Okumu is a Kenyan parasitologist and entomologist, who currently works as director of science at the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) in Tanzania. His primary research interests concern the interactions between humans and mosquitoes.

Dr.

Fredros Okumu
Born
Kenya
EducationB.Sc. , M.Sc. , Ph.D. (2012), MBA (ongoing)
Alma materMoi University, Kenya
University of Nairobi, Kenya
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
AwardsAmerican Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Young Investigator Award (2009)
Scientific career
FieldsEntomology, Parasitology, Malariology
InstitutionsIfakara Health Institute, Tanzania
Thesis'Combining insecticide treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying for malaria vector control in Africa'

Education

Okumu began his education in his native Kenya, studying Public Health at Moi University and subsequently a masters in Applied Parasitology at the University of Nairobi. He achieved a second masters in geoscience and environmental science at Lund University, Sweden. In 2012 Okumu was awarded a PhD from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.[1] Currently he is studying for an MBA in International Health Management from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.[2]

Career

After leaving school Okumu entered mosquito research by working at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology. He began at the IHI during his masters research and continued through his PhD and onwards to the present day. Now he is the director of science at the institute.[2][3] It was during his masters that Okumu developed a synthetic mosquito lure which was 3-5 times more potent than natural human odour.[4][5][6]

In addition to his appointment at IHI, Okumu is an associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow.[7][8] He has also been a visiting researcher at the Federal University of Minas Gerais.[2]

Okumu is an associate editor at the journal Parasites & Vectors.[9]

Research

Okumu's research interests include the effectiveness of Mosquito nets, the evolution of Insecticide resistance in mosquitoes and methods of trapping and killing wild mosquitoes.[2] Okumu places a strong emphasis on the use of field studies to determine the effectiveness of mosquito-control strategies. Many devices are tested thoroughly in lab settings however these may not recapitulate the effects in the real world. Okumu has been involved in field studies using mosquito baits near his institute and in local villages to test their effectiveness in situ.[5][10]

The IHI possesses the largest mosquito rearing facility in the world, known as the ‘mosquito farm’. This permits Okumu and colleagues to conduct research on mosquito population control measures on large quantities of mosquitoes.[11]

In 2010 Okumu published research of a synthetic lure which attracted mosquitoes 3-5 times more effectively than human odour control. This lure was based on components of human breath, such as Carbon dioxide and Ammonia. The lure was tested in local villages to establish their best effectiveness in human environments.[6][12] Okumu was funded by Grand Challenges Canada to produce mosquito trap lures based on Foot odor, since research indicates that mosquitoes are most attracted to the feet of humans.[13][14] This produced a lot of media attention reporting the use of ‘stinky socks’ to attract and kill mosquitoes.[13][15][16]

Foreign Policy Magazine honoured Okumu with being a Global Thinker in 2016 for his rapid and innovative design of low-cost Aedes aegypti repellent sandals (as mosquitoes most frequently bite around the ankles) for use in Brazil to help tackle the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic.[17][18][19] Okumu's research into mosquito repellants aims to develop cheap, safe and durable protection from bites using everyday objects, including footwear and even chairs.[20][21]

Okumu studies the sexual activity of mosquitoes in order to target their mating spots. His research found that mosquitoes cluster to mate in the same locations every year, offering a promising way to identify effective settings for mosquito traps.[11][22][23]

Accolades

2009 Scientist of the Year by the Ifakara Health Institute[5]

2009 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Young Investigator Award[24]

2014 Al Jazeera Lifelines Health Hero[25]

2016 Foreign Policy Global Thinker[17]

2018 Quartz Africa Africa Innovator[22]

References
  1. Okumu, Fredros Oketch (2012). Combining insecticide treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying for malaria vector control in Africa (Ph.D. thesis). London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
  2. "Fredros Okumu | IHI". Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  3. "Innovator Spotlight: Fredros Okumu" (PDF). www.usaid.gov. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  4. "Going after residual malaria in Africa" (PDF). www.internationalinnovation.com. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  5. Knols, Bart (21 Feb 2010). "E-interview with Fredros Okumu (Kenya, 1981) | MalariaWorld". malariaworld.org. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  6. Moore, Sarah J.; Mukabana, Wolfgang R.; Mshinda, Hassan; Takken, Willem; Ngonyani, Hassan; Munk, Cristina; Titus, Emmanuel; Mbeyela, Edgar; Smallegange, Renate C. (2010-01-28). "Development and Field Evaluation of a Synthetic Mosquito Lure That Is More Attractive than Humans". PLOS ONE. 5 (1): e8951. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...5.8951O. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008951. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 2812511. PMID 20126628.
  7. "University of Glasgow - Research Institutes - Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine - Our staff - Fredros Okumu". www.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  8. "Fredros Okumu - Wits University". www.wits.ac.za. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  9. "Editorial Board". Parasites & Vectors. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  10. Okumu, Fredros O.; Madumla, Edith P.; John, Alex N.; Lwetoijera, Dickson W.; Sumaye, Robert D. (2010-03-01). "Attracting, trapping and killing disease-transmitting mosquitoes using odor-baited stations - The Ifakara Odor-Baited Stations". Parasites & Vectors. 3 (1): 12. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-3-12. ISSN 1756-3305. PMC 2838860. PMID 20193085.
  11. Okumu, Fredros, Why I study the most dangerous animal on earth -- mosquitoes (TED Talk), retrieved 2019-01-02
  12. "Attracting mosquitoes by smell". Wellcome Trust Blog. 2010-07-28. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  13. Houreld, Katherine (13 July 2013). "Stinky feet help lead to idea for combating malaria". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  14. "Outdoor mosquito control as a complementary strategy to accelerate malaria elimination in Africa". Grand Challenges Canada. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  15. Palk, Susannah (2 August 2011). "'Dirty sock smell' lures mosquitoes to a sticky end". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  16. Laing, Aislinn (2011-07-13). "Smelly feet used as a trap for mosquitoes". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  17. "Global Thinkers 2016". gt.foreignpolicy.com. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  18. "Combating Zika". www.zikagrandchallenge.net. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  19. "Low-cost mosquito repellent sandals to protect against Zika, dengue, chikungunya and malaria | IHI". Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  20. Senthilingam, Meera (10 April 2017). "How soap, chairs and clothing could stop mosquito bites -- and diseases". CNN. Retrieved 30 Dec 2018.
  21. "Fredros Okumu | BOVA Network | Using low-cost mosquito-repellent chairs to provide day and night protection against mosquito-borne illness". www.bovanetwork.org. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  22. Staff, Quartz. "Thirty Africa innovators changing the continent's present and future". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  23. Kaindoa, Emmanuel W.; Ngowo, Halfan S.; Limwagu, Alex J.; Tchouakui, Magellan; Hape, Emmanuel; Abbasi, Said; Kihonda, Japhet; Mmbando, Arnold S.; Njalambaha, Rukiyah M. (2019-01-29). "Swarms of the malaria vector Anopheles funestus in Tanzania". Malaria Journal. 18 (1): 29. doi:10.1186/s12936-019-2660-y. ISSN 1475-2875. PMC 6350364. PMID 30696441.
  24. "ASTMH - Young Investigator Award". www.astmh.org. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  25. "Fredros Okumu: 'Nothing is cast in stone' | Health | Al Jazeera". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
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