Anopheles funestus sensu stricto Giles (Diptera:Culicidae) bites after sunrise at two rural villages in northern Malawi and its implications for malaria vector control
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Issued Date
2023-08-02
Resource Type
ISSN
19957262
eISSN
19957270
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85166959547
Journal Title
Malawi Medical Journal
Volume
35
Issue
2
Start Page
80
End Page
88
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Malawi Medical Journal Vol.35 No.2 (2023) , 80-88
Suggested Citation
Mzilahowa T., Gowelo S., Chiphwanya J., Bauleni A., Mukaka M. Anopheles funestus sensu stricto Giles (Diptera:Culicidae) bites after sunrise at two rural villages in northern Malawi and its implications for malaria vector control. Malawi Medical Journal Vol.35 No.2 (2023) , 80-88. 88. doi:10.4314/mmj.v35i2.2 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/88339
Title
Anopheles funestus sensu stricto Giles (Diptera:Culicidae) bites after sunrise at two rural villages in northern Malawi and its implications for malaria vector control
Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Introduction Malawi has scaled up distribution and use of LLINs but their effectiveness depends on vector behaviour. This study reports information on where and when peak biting takes place by Anopheles vectors at two study sites in northern Malawi. Methods The study was carried out at a single village each in Nkhata Bay and Karonga districts, northern Malawi. Monthly, three teams of four people each sampled mosquitoes using Human Landing Collections (HLCs) from 6.00 pm to 6.00 am. Mosquitoes were counted and identified by PCR. Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites were detected by ELISA and an entomological inoculation rate was estimated. Results A total of 4,668 and 2,079 mosquitoes were sampled in Nkhata Bay and Karonga districts respectively. An. funestus s.s was common (91.3%; n = 2,611) in Nkhata Bay while An. arabiensis was common (96.9%; n = 706) in Karonga. Pf sporozoite rates varied from 0.8% (4/484) to 3.3% (51/1558). Individuals in Nkhata Bay received more bites (approx. 200 bites/ person/ night) compared to Karonga (approx. 50 bites/ person/ night). An. funestus was more likely to bite indoors (p=0.002) while An. arabiensis was (p=0.05) more likely to bite outdoors. Furthermore, An. funestus peak biting was in the early morning hours from 4:00 am (approx. 331 and 177 bites/ person/ night indoors and outdoors respectively) and remained high till 6:00 am. An. arabiensis peak biting (approx. 63 and 62 bites/ person/ night indoors and outdoors respectively) was around mid-night (12:00). An EIR of 108.4 infective bites/ person/ year was estimated for Nkhata Bay compared to 9.1 infective bites/ person/ year for Karonga. Conclusion An. funestus s.s. had a considerable Pf sporozite infection rate and EIR. The shift in biting behaviour shown by this species poses a challenge to malaria control. Further studies are required to understand the biting behaviour of Anopheles vectors in Malawi.