first report of heterogeneity and sympatry of malaria vectors in southern gombe, northeastern nigeria: its implications for malaria vector control

A survey of the malaria vectors in an area is a critical component of an effective vector control strategy. this study aimed to investigate the malaria vectors in four communities of southern gombe, northeastern nigeria. a total of 3200 adult female anopheles reared from larvae in the four communities from two local government areas (lgas) in southern gombe were identified. anopheles pretoriensis were dominant 1662 (51.9%) followed by an. gambiae sl 868(27.1%), an. maculipalpis 267(8.3), an. rufipes 252(7.9) and an. coustani 10(0.3%), and the least were an. pharoensis 6(0.2%). the remaining 135(4.3%) were unidentified. of the 262 an. gambiae sl identified by species-specific pcr method, 135(51.5%) were found to be an. coluzzi, 60(22.9%) an. gambiae and only 1(0.4%) was an. arabiensis whereas hybrid constitutes 16(6.1%). to determine significant differences in species composition, the results from the four study sites were pooled together. anopheles pretoriensis was significantly different from all the other species identified (p = <0.0001 - 0.0454). an. gambiae sl. was significantly different from an. coustani and an. pharoensis (p = 0.0258, 0.0249 respectively). there was no significant difference between an. maculipalpis, an. rufipes, an. coustani and an. pharoensis (p = 0.9261 - >0.9999). there was a significant difference between the number of species identified as an. coluzzi and an. arabiensis (p = 0.0025). but there was no significant difference between an. coluzzi and an. gambiae (p = 0.1212).  the heterogeneity and sympatry of anopheles species observed is a threat to malaria control as the secondary vectors have behaviour that evades the current vector control interventions. it is expedient to re-strategize the vector control interventions in the study area.

first report of heterogeneity and sympatry of malaria vectors in southern gombe, northeastern nigeria: its implications for malaria vector control

a survey of the malaria vectors in an area is a critical component of an effective vector control strategy. this study aimed to investigate the malaria vectors in four communities of southern gombe, northeastern nigeria. a total of 3200 adult female anopheles reared from larvae in the four communities from two local government areas (lgas) in southern gombe were identified. anopheles pretoriensis were dominant 1662 (51.9%) followed by an. gambiae sl 868(27.1%), an. maculipalpis 267(8.3), an. rufipes 252(7.9) and an. coustani 10(0.3%), and the least were an. pharoensis 6(0.2%). the remaining 135(4.3%) were unidentified. of the 262 an. gambiae sl identified by species-specific pcr method, 135(51.5%) were found to be an. coluzzi, 60(22.9%) an. gambiae and only 1(0.4%) was an. arabiensis whereas hybrid constitutes 16(6.1%). to determine significant differences in species composition, the results from the four study sites were pooled together. anopheles pretoriensis was significantly different from all the other species identified (p = <0.0001 - 0.0454). an. gambiae sl. was significantly different from an. coustani and an. pharoensis (p = 0.0258, 0.0249 respectively). there was no significant difference between an. maculipalpis, an. rufipes, an. coustani and an. pharoensis (p = 0.9261 - >0.9999). there was a significant difference between the number of species identified as an. coluzzi and an. arabiensis (p = 0.0025). but there was no significant difference between an. coluzzi and an. gambiae (p = 0.1212).  the heterogeneity and sympatry of anopheles species observed is a threat to malaria control as the secondary vectors have behaviour that evades the current vector control interventions. it is expedient to re-strategize the vector control interventions in the study area.