ITRM20110120A1 - METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROPHYLAXIS, THE CONTROL AND / OR ERADICATION OF INFESTATIONS BY AN AGEISTIC AGENT. - Google Patents

Description

â € œMETHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROPHYLAXIS, CONTROL AND / OR

ERADICATION OF INFESTATIONS BY AN ETIOLOGICAL AGENTâ €

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a method for the prophylaxis and / or control and / or eradication of infestations by an etiological agent and to a trap device which uses this method. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and a trap device for the prophylaxis and / or control and / or eradication of insect infestations, in particular by Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.

The partial or total elimination of organisms / microorganisms responsible for infestations is particularly complex. In particular, the possibility of controlling, preventing and / or treating supernumerary populations within an environment, whether closed or not, is essential to guarantee the health of animal and plant species that populate the environment itself. In the majority of treatments aimed at eliminating a population from a given environment, the use of substances that are harmful to humans and which as such therefore have obvious disadvantages is envisaged. In this perspective, just think of the use of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) as an insecticide and its consequences on human health and beyond.

Furthermore, these treatments are rarely accompanied by a rapid and effective resolution of the problem, especially in the case in which the environments to be decontaminated are very large. For example, in recent years the infestation of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus has aroused particular attention in the world from Asia to Europe.

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a parasite native to south-eastern Asia capable of infesting various species of palms and recognized today as the main culprit of the damage observed in palms in 51 different countries in the world, including Italy.

The adult insect of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus has a typical reddish color, with black streaks, which is why it is commonly known as the "Red palm weevil".

The life cycle of the insect can last up to 300 days and does not correspond to a precise seasonality, therefore it is possible to find insects in the same palm at all stages of development at the same time.

The female of this species deposits up to 300 eggs, in hot countries it can reach 500. The eggs hatch in a few days, and the larvae feed on plant tissues by digging long tunnels towards the apex of the plant. The fibrous cocoon is about 5 cm long.

Wintering takes place inside the host / palm affected, therefore the insect is able to develop attacks at any time of the year.

The damage is caused by the larvae which, with their tunnels, destroy the vegetative apexes and can compromise the vitality of the palm to the point of causing its collapse. In particular, we first notice the decay of some leaves, then the disappearance of the apical bud and the death of the plant occurs in 1-2 months. In hot countries the attack is brought to the stem and the plants are generally cut off within 1 year.

In Italy, the palm species most frequently affected by this parasite are:

Phoenix canariensis

Phoenix dactylifera

Chamaerops spp

Washingtonia spp

In Europe, depending on the level of infestation, different stages can be recognized in at least 90% of cases:

Stage I - level of mild infestation: the affected leaves remain green and, in particular, those of the vegetative apex are gnawed;

II stage - medium level of infestation: the affected leaves show signs of wilting, this causes the asymmetry of the crown;

III / IV stage - level of intense infestation: the crown shows signs of collapse, and the vegetative apex is flattened, asymmetry and leaf drying are very evident; V / VI stage - level of severe infestation: the crown is completely collapsed and the plant assumes the characteristic umbrella shape and then dries up completely. In hot countries, the infestation is evident with the attack on the jamb immediately under the capital. It is difficult to identify the penetration holes and the treatment is made difficult by the fact that the vessels are interrupted and therefore the translocation of the product is not possible. brown with oxidation. The unpleasant smell of fermentation is characteristic.

In recent years, various chemical and non-chemical approaches have been developed in order to prevent and / or treat the Rhynchophorus ferrugineus infestation of palms. Some studies, for example, foresee the use of traps based on karyomones that allow to capture the male insect by exploiting its call through hormones. However, the use of these traps has operational disadvantages, while allowing a reduction in the number of insects to be obtained through mass capture. In particular, the complete eradication of the infestation is necessarily linked to the capture of every single insect. It therefore appears evident that these traps do not constitute a particularly effective method against Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.

The object of the present invention is to solve the problems still left open by the known art. This result has been achieved through a method for the prophylaxis and / or control and / or eradication of infestations by an etiological agent as defined in claim 1. Additional features of this method are defined in the corresponding dependent claims

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for carrying out said method; said trap device is defined in claim 9 and its dependents.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a kit for the prophylaxis and / or control and / or eradication of infestations by an etiological agent as defined in claim 20.

The present invention, overcoming the aforementioned problems of the known art, entails numerous and evident advantages.

First of all, the method, as well as the trap device and the kit, make it possible to sterilize and infect the causative agent (preferably an insect) causing the infestation, which, once captured, is subsequently released. The resulting advantage consists in the possibility of being able to act also on agents, for example insects, not directly captured. sterile, being at the same time also infected with transmissible pathogens, it will spread the pathogen to the entire population with which it will come directly or indirectly into contact.

It follows that the method described here, the device that implements it and the kit, have a much greater efficacy than the methods known in the art since it allows to act indirectly even on the etiological agents not captured.

Other advantages, such as the characteristics and methods of use of the present invention, will become evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, presented by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the figures of the attached drawings, in which:

- figure 1 is a general diagram of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention;

- figure 2 is a diagram relating to an alternative embodiment of the device according to the present invention;

figures 3A and 3B schematically show some possible embodiments of the present invention;

- figure 4 is a sectional view of a device according to the present invention;

- figures 4A and 4B are sectional views of the device of figure 4 taken respectively along lines A-A and B-B; And

Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary way of using a device according to the present invention.

The present disclosure provides a method for the prophylaxis and / or control and / or eradication of infestations by an etiological agent. In particular, “prophylaxis” means a method whose purpose is to prevent the spread of an infestation, in this case by bacteria, viruses, fungi but also by insects in a given environment. By â € œcontrolâ €, in this description, we mean a method aimed at decreasing the frequency of an infestation in a given environment. “Eradication” means a method by which a complete elimination of the causative agent of the infestation is achieved from a given environment.

In particular, the method according to the present description comprises the steps of: capturing the causative agent of the infestation in a treatment site; sterilize the causative agent captured; infect the etiological agent with a transmissible pathogen and finally release the sterilized and infected etiological agent.

First of all, by etiological agent we mean in the present description, bacteria, fungi, viruses but also insects which are responsible for an infestation. This infestation is related, in particular, to environments, closed or open, such as, for example, a lice infestation in a school.

The capture of the causative agent can be carried out according to any method or even known trap that is not characterized by the killing of the agent itself. It is clear that, for example, the capture of a generic insect is at least within the reach of anyone and therefore does not require further investigation here.

With the verb “sterilize” we intend to carry out an intervention using chemical and / or physical agents that results in the inability to reproduce.

In one embodiment, the step of sterilizing provides for the administration, preferably by ingestion, to the etiological agent of a sterilizing chemical product. The sterilizing chemical can be a natural and / or synthetic substance chosen from the group of antimetabolites capable of interfering with the metabolism of nucleic acids. According to one embodiment, the sterilizing substance is a chemosterilizing substance. According to a preferred embodiment, the chemosterilant is an antimetabolite of folic acid.

By way of example, a possible method of administration could be through water and / or food, in such a way that the etiological agent takes the sterilizing agent at the same time as the meal. The skilled in the art will be able, on the basis of the information present in the known art, to trace the specific food for the type of etiological agent of interest to be treated and to define, without any effort of inventive activity, the concentrations of the substance used as sterilant necessary to induce the desired sterilization effect.

The method also includes the step of infecting the causative agent of interest with a transmissible and lethal pathogen. By â € œtransmissible pathogenâ € we mean a pathogen capable of passing from an infected subject to a non-infected subject, thus determining the infection of the latter as well. For example, an insect, the causative agent of a certain infestation, can be infected with a bacterial strain capable of transferring also to â € œhealthyâ € insects which consequently can be transmitted to the entire insect population. Instead, the term â € œlethalâ € means a pathogen whose action takes the form of decreasing the average half-life of the etiological agent itself.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the step of infecting involves contamination of the causative agent with fungi and / or bacteria and / or viruses.

In case the causative agent of the infestation is an insect, a preferred embodiment is that in which the bacteria and fungi belong respectively to the Bacillus thuringiensis and Beauveria bassiana species.

In particular, Beauveria bassiana is a species of fungus capable of causing damage to different types of insects by acting as a parasite. When the spores of the fungus come into contact with the insect they penetrate the body, develop and kill it. After death a white efflorescence develops on the body of the insect itself to indicate the growth of new spores.

Bacillus thuringiensis is a species of spore-forming bacterium which, when ingested by the host, sporulates releasing toxins that essentially damage the digestive tract. The contamination by these species of the insect captured and subsequently released allows therefore to infect and kill even the insects that are not trapped in the device 1, consequently producing its effect on a very high number of insects.

The method also includes an optional step of attracting the etiological agent to a treatment site. The step of attracting has the purpose of increasing the number of microorganisms / organisms of the etiological agent and therefore increasing the effectiveness of the method, in terms of etiological agents to be treated. According to the type of etiological agent to be treated, the technician in the sector will be able to identify, on the basis of the information present in the state of the art, the substances / substances to be used in the attraction step. According to a preferred embodiment, this step can provide for the use of one or more hormones suitable for attracting the specific etiological agent. As previously mentioned, the causative agent can be any bacterium, virus, fungus or even insect responsible for an infestation.

Examples of etiological agents according to the present invention are: Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, cause of infestation in palms and the red mite Dermanyssus gallinae, responsible for the infestation of lice in humans.

In a preferred embodiment of the method, the causative agent is Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.

The subject of this description is also a trap device that implements the above method.

Referring first to Figure 1, this schematically shows a trap device for etiological agents causing infestations according to the present invention.

Device 1 first of all comprises at least one inlet opening 2 to allow insects to enter the device itself and at least one outlet opening 3 designed to guarantee the subsequent release of the device. etiological agent sterilized and infected by the device 1 itself.

The device 1 has inside it a combination of means that allow to intervene through specific treatments on the reproductive process and on the half-life of the etiological agents in such a way as to obtain an effective intervention on the entire colony responsible for the infestation. For the definition of etiological agent according to this description, reference should be made to what has already been defined.

In particular, the device 1 comprises sterilization means 4 and infection means 5.

With the expression â € œmeans of sterilizationâ € 4 we mean any chemical and / or physical agent whose action results in the obtaining of living species, such as insects, unable to reproduce.

In an embodiment of the invention the sterilization means 4 comprise at least one sterilizing agent selected from the group consisting of: natural and / or synthetic substances. Natural and / or synthetic substances can be chosen from the group of antimetabolites capable of interfering with the metabolism of nucleic acids. According to one embodiment, the sterilizing substances are chemosterilizing substances. According to a preferred embodiment, the sterilizing chemo are antimetabolites of folic acid.

In order to ensure the sterilization of all etiological agents captured and then released, the means of sterilization 4 can be, in the case of chemical substances, such as the antimetabolite of folic acid, mixed with water and / or food, so that the agent himself takes them at the same time as the meal to which he is attracted. The skilled in the field will be able, on the basis of the information present in the known art, to trace the specific food according to the etiological agent to be treated and define, without any effort of inventive activity, the concentrations of the substance used as sterilant necessary to induce the desired sterilization effect.

With the expression â € œmeans of infectionâ € 5 we mean in general in this description chemicals, viruses, fungi, bacteria whose action gives as final result the obtaining of etiological agents such as bacteria, fungi, viruses or insects with half-life less than the life cycle of the agent itself.

Taking into account the scope of the present invention, the means of infection 5 can comprise bacteria and / or fungi belonging to genera and / or species that are capable of infecting the causative agent of interest and of causing its death, for example, a few weeks, days, hours after the infection itself. According to a preferred embodiment, bacteria and fungi belong respectively to the Bacillus thuringiensis and Beauveria bassiana species.

In order to guarantee an effective infection, the means of infection itself 5 can comprise means of diffusion 6 which favor their engraftment on the etiological agent. By way of non-limiting example, the means of diffusion 6 can be spray diffusers, or foods polluted with the infectious agent capable of dispersing inside the device 1, preferably in a continuous manner, for example, bacteria and / or fungi contaminants. Alternatively, as previously described for the sterilization means 4, the possibility of mixing the infectious agents in water and / or food can be provided.

According to an embodiment, the diffusion means 6 comprise at least one support for the contaminants capable of facilitating physical contact between the infectants themselves (bacteria and / or the contaminating fungi) and the etiological agent to be treated. In a preferred embodiment the diffusion means 6 comprise at least one comb (or brush) structure 7 whose teeth are partially or completely covered, for example, with bacteria and / or fungi. The comb (or brush) structure 7 is positioned inside the device 1 in such a way that the agents causing the infestation trapped in it are inevitably forced to touch the comb structure 7 itself, becoming infected. It is not necessary to indicate in this description further technical details about the comb structure 7 since its position inside the device 1, as well as its dimensions, the length of the comb teeth depend in turn on the dimensions of the device 1 itself. In any case, the person skilled in the art will be able to establish the characteristics and position of this structure 7 on the basis of the previously indicated function that it performs inside the device 1.

For example, in the embodiment shown in figure 4, the comb structure 7 is positioned adjacent to the outlet opening 3 in such a way that, for example, the insects are contaminated before exiting the device 1 According to this last embodiment, it appears intuitive that the teeth of the comb structure 7 will be flexible enough to allow the exit of the sterilized and infected agent from the device 1 without particular difficulty. By way of example, and as illustrated in figure 4B, these teeth can consist of paper elements whose length is sufficient to ensure contact with the etiological agent at the level of the exit opening 3.

The entry of etiological agents into the trap device 1 can possibly be favored by using different strategies. For example, it is well known to those skilled in the art as particular substances, smells, perfumes, colors, etc. can act as a call for animals, including insects. In this perspective, therefore, a device 1 can be provided comprising attraction means 8 specific for the etiological agent causing the infestation of interest.

In particular, taking into account that the attractive effect of substances such as hormones is described in the literature, in one embodiment the attraction means 8 will comprise at least one hormone. In the specific case of a trap designed to trap male specimens, at least female hormone will preferentially be used.

As indicated above, since there are many strategies for attracting etiological agents, for example, think also of the recall effect that food has in general, therefore any modality considered by the technician of the sector suitable for this purpose, even if not specifically described in the present description, it is to be considered falling within the scope of the present invention. It is also obvious that the skilled in the art, without any effort of inventive activity, will be able to position the attraction means 8 in a manner appropriate to their function internally and / or externally to the device 1. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the attraction means 8 are present inside the device 1 into which, for example, the hormones can be introduced by means of systems similar to those previously described for the contamination means 5.

The overall effectiveness of device 1 is linked, as already mentioned, to the possibility of indirect action even on agents that are not trapped. In fact, as highlighted in the present description, the etiological agents captured are released only after being sterilized and infected and as such capable of promoting the development of, for example, sterile eggs and / or extending the infection to other individuals in the population. of belonging.

This result is achieved through the presence of unidirectional passage means 9 included in device 1. The unidirectional passage means 9 are able to convey the etiological agent inside the device 1 and prevent its release before the sterilization treatment and infection. In other words, therefore, to ensure that all the agents captured are effectively sterilized and infected when released outside.

By â € œunidirectional passageâ € in reference to device 1 it is therefore meant that through the entrance opening 2 only the passage of agents from the external environment towards the inside of device 1 is allowed and that, by means of the exit opening 3 is only allowed for the agent to pass from inside the device to the outside environment and not vice versa. The conveyance only in the direction of inlet opening 2-outlet opening 3 can be obtained by means of suitable one-way passage means 9. For illustrative purposes only, the passage means 9 can comprise one-way valve mechanisms, one-way elastic modules, or the like. Figure 4A schematically represents a preferred embodiment of a unidirectional elastic modulus useful for the purposes of the present invention.

As illustrated in figures 1, 2, 3A and 3B, the device 1 can be made according to different design models, each of which in any case comprising at least one inlet opening 2, at least one outlet opening 3, means of sterilization 4, infection means 5, passage means 9 and, optionally, the attraction means 8. Figure 1 shows a first embodiment in which the means described above are all included within a single chamber .

Alternatively, figure 2 shows a second embodiment in which the device 1 comprises two rooms communicating with each other in which the presence of the sterilization means 8 and attraction 8 is provided in one chamber and in the other chamber only the means of € ™ infection 5.

It is evident that it is possible to design the two-chamber device 1 with any type of combination relating to the presence of the sterilization means 4, the infection means 5 and, optionally, the attraction means 8 in the two chambers themselves. Preferably, the device 1, as shown in Figure 4, comprises three communicating chambers each chamber respectively containing at least one inlet opening 2, at least one outlet opening 3 and attraction means 8 in the first chamber, sterilization means 4 in the second chamber and infection means 5 in the third chamber and in which the passage means 9 are included in the inlet 2 and outlet 3 openings.

Even in the embodiment in which the device has three chambers, but it is evident that further alternative embodiments with a number of chambers greater than three can also be provided, it is possible to consider or different combinations of means within the same rooms and / or a different succession of communicating rooms including different means. So in other words, if we refer to the device with three chambers, the first chamber may contain in the first chamber means of attraction 8 and / or means of sterilization 4 and / or means of infection 5, the second chamber means of attraction 8 and / or means of sterilization 4 and / or means of infection 5, the third chamber means of attraction 8 and / or means of sterilization 4 and / or means of infection 5.

The orientation in the space of the room or of the communicating rooms of the device 1 can be vertical and / or horizontal as exemplified in figures 3A and 3B.

The trap device 1 described here is preferentially used against infestation by insects, for example, of environments in general and of plants, trees in particular.

In particular, the trap device 1 can be used for the treatment of palms infested with Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.

According to a preferred embodiment, the insect to be captured and therefore trapped belongs to the species for Rhynchophorus ferrugineus. Since the trap device 1 is characterized by the release, for example, of live but sterile and infected insects, its installation must not take place directly on the palm to be treated. In other words, the installation of the trap device 1 can also be carried out not directly on the palm itself, but inside the radius in which they reasonably move, flying the insects to be captured. This allows to obtain a series of additional advantages. First, the possibility of intervening simultaneously on several palms, as shown in figure 5, secondly, of preventing the insects attracted by the presence of any means of attraction 8 massively infest the palm (s) to be treated.

The object of the present invention is also a kit for the prophylaxis and / or control and / or eradication of infestations by an etiological agent. In particular, this kit will comprise the actuation means necessary to carry out the method according to what previously described here. The technician in the sector will be able, on the basis of what is defined for the above method, to identify without any effort of inventive activity the means suitable for the implementation of the method itself.

In one embodiment, the kit will further comprise the trap device 1 as intended in the present description. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the kit will also comprise at least one aliquot of a sterilizing agent and / or at least one aliquot of an infection agent and / or at least one aliquot of attractive agent . The terms “sterilization agents”, “infection agent” and “attraction agent” are understood as previously defined for the method and / or device. Furthermore, in relation to these agents, what has been described for the method and / or the device is to be considered similarly valid also for the kit. Therefore, for example without being limited to it, the sterilizing agent can be mixed with, for example, water and / or food and be supplied in the kit as a mixture. The present invention has been described heretofore with reference to its preferred embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments may exist which pertain to the same inventive nucleus, all falling within the scope of the protection of the claims set forth below.

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Claims (5)

CLAIMS 1. Method for the prophylaxis and / or control and / or eradication of infestations by an etiological agent, comprising the steps of: - capturing said etiological agent at a treatment site; - sterilizing said etiological agent; - infect said etiological agent with a transmissible and lethal pathogen; - releasing said sterilized and infected etiological agent. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of attracting said etiological agent to said treatment site. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said step of sterilizing provides for the administration to said etiological agent of at least one sterilizing agent. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said infecting step involves contamination of said etiological agent with fungi and / or bacteria and / or viruses. 5. Method according to claim 4, wherein said fungi belong to the Bacillus thuringiensis species and said bacteria belong to the Beauveria bassiana species Method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said step of attracting said etiological agent involves the use of one or more hormones suitable for attracting said etiological agent. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said etiological agent is Rhynchophorus ferrugineus. 9. Device (1) trap for an etiological agent of an infestation comprising: - at least one entrance (2) of said etiological agent; - sterilization means (4) for said etiological agent; -means of infection (5) for said etiological agent by means of transmissible and lethal pathogens; - at least one exit opening (3) of the sterilized and / or infected etiological agent; and -means of passage (9) for the unidirectional passage of said etiological agent in said device. Device (1) according to claim 9, wherein said means for sterilization (4) comprise at least one sterilizing agent. Device (1) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said infection means (5) comprise transmissible bacteria and / or fungi and / or viruses. Device (1) according to claim 11, wherein said bacteria and / or fungi are Bacillus thuringiensis and Beauveria bassiana, respectively. Device (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein said infection means (5) comprise diffusion means (6) for said bacteria and / or fungi. Device (1) according to claim 13, wherein said diffusion means (6) comprise at least one comb structure (7). Device (1) according to claim 14, wherein said at least one comb structure (7) is positioned adjacent to the outlet opening (3) in such a way that contaminated said etiological agent is contaminated before the ™ output from said device (1). Device (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 15, further comprising attraction means (8) for said etiological agent Device (1) according to claim 16, wherein said attraction means (8) for said etiological agent comprise at least one hormone. 18. Device (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 17, comprising at least two rooms communicating with each other and respectively containing at least one entrance opening (2), at least one exit opening (3 ) and said sterilization means (4) and / or said infection means (5) and / or said attraction means (8), and said passage means (9) in which said passage means (9) are included in called entry (2) and / or exit (3) openings .. 19. Device 1 according to any one of claims 9 to 18, wherein said etiological agent belongs to the Rhynchophorus ferrugineus species. 20. Kit for the prophylaxis and / or control and / or eradication of infestations by an etiological agent comprising actuation means for the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9. 21. Kit according to claim 20, further comprising the trap device 1 according to any one of claims 9 to 19. . 22. Kit according to claim 20 or 21, further comprising at least one aliquot of a sterilizing agent and / or at least one aliquot of an infecting agent and / or at least one aliquot of attractive agent