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4524 Fighting Malaria, One Image at a Time: Using Computer Vision to Develop an Automated Vector Speciation Tool

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2020

Sophia Diaz
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University
Tristan Ford
Affiliation:
VecTech, JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
Monet Slinowsky
Affiliation:
JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
Kiley Gersch
Affiliation:
JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
Ebenezer Armah
Affiliation:
JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
Karina Frank
Affiliation:
JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
Zachary Buono
Affiliation:
JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
Margaret Glancey
Affiliation:
VecTech, JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
Adam Goodwin
Affiliation:
VecTech, JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
Soumyadipta Acharya
Affiliation:
VecTech, JHU-Whiting School of Engineering, CBID
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Abstract

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OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Rapid and accurate identification of primary malaria vector species from collected specimens is the most critical aspect of effective vector surveillance and control. This interdisciplinary team of engineers aims to automate identification using a deep learning computer vision algorithm. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The team spent August of 2019 observing and participating in control and surveillance activities in Zambia and Uganda. They conducted >65 interviews with key stakeholders across 9 malaria control and surveillance sites, ranging from field and community health workers, to malaria researchers and Ministry of Health employees. Stakeholder feedback validated the need for a more accurate and efficient method of vector identification in order to more effectively deploy targeted malaria interventions. The team set forth in designing and prototyping a portable, automated field tool that could speciate mosquito vectors to the complex level using artificial intelligence. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The team’s research demonstrated that accuracy, cost effectiveness, and ease of use would be critical to the successful adoption of the tool. Results of initial prototyping, usability studies, and stakeholder surveys were used to determine the tool’s minimal user specifications: 1) the ability to distinguish between Anopheles Gambiae and Anopheles Funestus, the two principal malaria vectors in the countries visited, 2) achieving an identification accuracy of ≥90% to the complex level, and 3) accessibility to the speciation data 3-7 days following vector collection. Next steps include optimizing the tool to deploy a minimal viable product for testing in Kenya by the summer of 2020. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The accurate, high-quality surveillance enabled by this device would allow malaria control programs to scale surveillance to remote regions where an entomologist may not be available, allowing malaria programs to deploy effective interventions, monitor results, and prevent disease.

Type
Commercialization/Entrepreneurship
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Association for Clinical and Translational Science 2020