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Increased endophily by the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in southern Zambia and identification of digested blood meals.

ABSTRACT: An increase in Anopheles arabiensis showing endophilic behavior was observed in Macha, Zambia during March 2007. To determine whether this shift in resting behavior was accompanied by a change in feeding preference, an attempt was made to calculate the human blood index. However, only 46.2% of blood meals were successfully identified with existing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostics. This failure was hypothesized to be caused by the limitations of existing methods that are not capable of identifying host source from anophelines resting for extended time periods. Using an assay we developed that allows for the identification of mammalian host DNA out to 60 hours post-feeding, we were able to successfully determine the host source of 94.3% of recovered blood meals. The data show that, although An. arabiensis in Macha experienced a period of higher endophily, the degree of anthropophily and the sporozoite rate in the population remained comparable to the previous malaria season.

SUBMITTER: Fornadel CM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4147109 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Increased endophily by the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in southern Zambia and identification of digested blood meals.

Fornadel Christen M CM Norris Douglas E DE

The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 20081201 6

An increase in Anopheles arabiensis showing endophilic behavior was observed in Macha, Zambia during March 2007. To determine whether this shift in resting behavior was accompanied by a change in feeding preference, an attempt was made to calculate the human blood index. However, only 46.2% of blood meals were successfully identified with existing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostics. This failure was hypothesized to be caused by the limitations of existing methods that are not capable of ...[more]

PMID: 19052296

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Project description:BackgroundThe use of insecticide-treated nets for malaria control has been associated with shifts in mosquito vector feeding behaviour including earlier and outdoor biting on humans. The relative contribution of phenotypic plasticity and heritability to these behavioural shifts is unknown. Elucidation of the mechanisms behind these shifts is crucial for anticipating impacts on vector control.MethodsA novel portable semi-field system (PSFS) was used to experimentally measure heritability of biting time in the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in Tanzania. Wild An. arabiensis from hourly collections using the human landing catch (HLC) method were grouped into one of 3 categories based on their time of capture: early (18:00-21:00), mid (22:00-04:00), and late (05:00-07:00) biting, and placed in separate holding cages. Mosquitoes were then provided with a blood meal for egg production and formation of first filial generation (F1). The F1 generation of each biting time phenotype category was reared separately, and blood fed at the same time as their mothers were captured host-seeking. The resultant eggs were used to generate the F2 generation for use in heritability assays. Heritability was assessed by releasing F2 An. arabiensis into the PSFS, recording their biting time during a human landing catch and comparing it to that of their F0 grandmothers.ResultsIn PSFS assays, the biting time of F2 offspring (early: 18:00-21:00, mid: 22:00-04:00 or late: 05:00-07:00) was significantly positively associated with that of their wild-caught F0 grandmothers, corresponding to an estimated heritability of 0.110 (95% CI 0.003, 0.208). F2 from early-biting F0 were more likely to bite early than F2 from mid or late-biting F0. Similarly, the probability of biting late was higher in F2 derived from mid and late-biting F0 than from early-biting F0.ConclusionsDespite modest heritability, our results suggest that some of the variation in biting time is attributable to additive genetic variation. Selection can, therefore, act efficiently on mosquito biting times, highlighting the need for control methods that target early and outdoor biting mosquitoes.

Project description:BackgroundGenetic diversity is a key factor that enables adaptation and persistence of natural populations towards environmental conditions. It is influenced by the interaction of a natural population's dynamics and the environment it inhabits. Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles arabiensis are the two major and widespread malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa. Several studies have examined the ecology and population dynamics of these vectors. Ecological conditions along the Kilombero valley in Tanzania influence the distribution and population density of these two vector species. It remains unclear whether the ecological diversity within the Kilombero valley has affected the population structure of An. gambiae s.l. populations. The goal of this study was to characterise the genetic structure of sympatric An. gambiae s.s and An. arabiensis populations along the Kilombero valley.MethodologyMosquitoes were collected from seven locations in Tanzania: six from the Kilombero valley and one outside the valley (-700 km away) as an out-group. To archive a genome-wide coverage, 13 microsatellite markers from chromosomes X, 2 and 3 were used.ResultsHigh levels of genetic differentiation among An. arabiensis populations was observed, as opposed to An. gambiae s.s., which was genetically undifferentiated across the 6,650 km2 of the Kilombero valley landscape. It appears that genetic differentiation is not attributed to physical barriers or distance, but possibly by ecological diversification within the Kilombero valley. Genetic divergence among An. arabiensis populations (FST = 0.066) was higher than that of the well-known M and S forms of An. gambiae s. s. in West and Central Africa (FST = 0.035), suggesting that these populations are maintained by some level of reproductive isolation.ConclusionIt was hypothesized that ecological diversification across the valley may be a driving force for observed An. arabiensis genetic divergence. The impact of the observed An. arabiensis substructure to the prospects for new vector control approaches is discussed.

Project description:BackgroundMalaria affects large parts of the developing world and is responsible for almost 800,000 deaths annually. As climates change, concerns have arisen as to how this vector-borne disease will be impacted by changing rainfall patterns and warming temperatures. Despite the importance and controversy surrounding the impact of climate change on the potential spread of this disease, little information exists on the tolerances of several of the vector species themselves.MethodsUsing a ramping protocol (to assess critical thermal limits--CT) and plunge protocol (to assess lethal temperature limits--LT) information on the thermal tolerance of two of Africa's important malaria vectors, Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus was collected. The effects of age, thermal acclimation treatment, sex and strain (laboratory versus wild adults) were investigated for CT determinations for each species. The effects of age and sex for adults and life stage (larvae, pupae, adults) were investigated for LT determinations.ResultsIn both species, females are more tolerant to low and high temperatures than males; larvae and pupae have higher upper lethal limits than do adults. Thermal acclimation of adults has large effects in some instances but small effects in others. Younger adults tend to be more tolerant of low or high temperatures than older age groups. Long-standing laboratory colonies are sufficiently similar in thermal tolerance to field-collected animals to provide reasonable surrogates when making inferences about wild population responses. Differences between these two vectors in their thermal tolerances, especially in larvae and pupae, are plausibly a consequence of different habitat utilization.ConclusionsLimited plasticity is characteristic of the adults of these vector species relative to others examined to date, suggesting limited scope for within-generation change in thermal tolerance. These findings and the greater tolerance of females to thermal extremes may have significant implications for future malaria transmission, especially in areas of current seasonal transmission and in areas on the boundaries of current vector distribution.

Project description:Background: Malaria mosquitoes form mating swarms around sunset, often at the same locations for months or years. Unfortunately, studies of Anopheles swarms are rare in East Africa, the last recorded field observations in Tanzania having been in 1983. Methods: Mosquito swarms were surveyed by trained volunteers between August-2016 and June-2017 in Ulanga district, Tanzania. Identified Anopheles swarms were sampled using sweep nets, and collected mosquitoes killed by refrigeration then identified by sex and taxa. Sub-samples were further identified by PCR, and spermatheca of females examined for mating status. Mosquito ages were estimated by observing female ovarian tracheoles and rotation of male genitalia. GPS locations, types of swarm markers, start/end times of swarming, heights above ground, mosquito counts/swarm, and copulation events were recorded. Results: A total of 216 Anopheles swarms were identified, characterized and mapped, from which 7,142 Anopheles gambiae s.l and 13 Anopheles funestus were sampled. The An. gambiae s.l were 99.6% males and 0.4% females, while the An. funestus were all males. Of all An. gambiae s.l analyzed by PCR, 86.7% were An. arabiensis, while 13.3% returned non-amplified DNA. Mean height (±SD) of swarms was 2.74±0.64m, and median duration was 20 (IQR; 15-25) minutes. Confirmed swarm markers included rice fields (25.5%), burned grounds (17.2%), banana trees (13%), brick piles (8.8%), garbage heaps (7.9%) and ant-hills (7.4%). Visual estimates of swarm sizes by the volunteers was strongly correlated to actual sizes by sweep nets (R=0.94; P=<0.001). All females examined were nulliparous and 95.6% [N=6787] of males had rotated genitalia, indicating sexual maturity. Conclusions: This is the first report of Anopheles swarms in Tanzania in more than three decades. The study demonstrates that the swarms can be identified and characterized by trained community-based volunteers, and highlights potential new interventions, for example targeted aerosol spraying of the swarms to improve malaria control.

Project description:Malaria transmission is dependent on the propensity of Anopheles mosquitoes to bite humans (anthropophily) instead of other dead end hosts. Recent increases in the usage of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs) in Africa have been associated with reductions in highly anthropophilic and endophilic vectors such as Anopheles gambiae s.s., leaving species with a broader host range, such as Anopheles arabiensis, as the most prominent remaining source of transmission in many settings. An. arabiensis appears to be more of a generalist in terms of its host choice and resting behavior, which may be due to phenotypic plasticity and/or segregating allelic variation. To investigate the genetic basis of host choice and resting behavior in An. arabiensis we sequenced the genomes of 23 human-fed and 25 cattle-fed mosquitoes collected both in-doors and out-doors in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. We identified a total of 4,820,851 SNPs, which were used to conduct the first genome-wide estimates of "SNP heritability" for host choice and resting behavior in this species. A genetic component was detected for host choice (human vs cow fed; permuted P = 0.002), but there was no evidence of a genetic component for resting behavior (indoors versus outside; permuted P = 0.465). A principal component analysis (PCA) segregated individuals based on genomic variation into three groups which were characterized by differences at the 2Rb and/or 3Ra paracentromeric chromosome inversions. There was a non-random distribution of cattle-fed mosquitoes between the PCA clusters, suggesting that alleles linked to the 2Rb and/or 3Ra inversions may influence host choice. Using a novel inversion genotyping assay, we detected a significant enrichment of the standard arrangement (non-inverted) of 3Ra among cattle-fed mosquitoes (N = 129) versus all non-cattle-fed individuals (N = 234; χ2, p = 0.007). Thus, tracking the frequency of the 3Ra in An. arabiensis populations may be of use to infer selection on host choice behavior within these vector populations; possibly in response to vector control. Controlled host-choice assays are needed to discern whether the observed genetic component has a direct relationship with innate host preference. A better understanding of the genetic basis for host feeding behavior in An. arabiensis may also open avenues for novel vector control strategies based on driving genes for zoophily into wild mosquito populations.

Project description:BackgroundAgricultural pesticides may play a profound role in selection of resistance in field populations of mosquito vectors. The objective of this study is to investigate possible links between agricultural pesticide use and development of resistance to insecticides by the major malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in northern Sudan.Methodology/principal findingsEntomological surveys were conducted during two agricultural seasons in six urban and peri-urban sites in Khartoum state. Agro-sociological data were collected from 240 farmers subjected to semi-structured questionnaires based on knowledge attitude and practice (KAP) surveys. Susceptibility status of An. arabiensis (n=6000) was assessed in all sites and during each season using WHO bioassay tests to DDT, deltamethrin, permethrin, Malathion and bendiocarb. KAP analysis revealed that pesticide application was common practice among both urban and peri-urban farmers, with organophosphates and carbamates most commonly used. Selection for resistance is likely to be greater in peri-urban sites where farmers apply pesticide more frequently and are less likely to dispose of surpluses correctly. Though variable among insecticides and seasons, broad-spectrum mortality was slightly, but significantly higher in urban than peri-urban sites and most marked for bendiocarb, to which susceptibility was lowest. Anopheles arabiensis from all sites showed evidence of resistance or suspected resistance, especially pyrethroids. However, low-moderate frequencies of the L1014F kdr allele in all sites, which was very strongly associated with DDT, permethrin and deltamethrin survivorship (OR=6.14-14.67) suggests that resistance could increase rapidly.ConclusionsUbiquitous multiple-resistance coupled with presence of a clear mechanism for DDT and pyrethroids (kdr L1014F) in populations of An. arabiensis from Khartoum-Sudan suggests careful insecticide management is essential to prolong efficacy. Our findings are consistent with agricultural insecticide use as a source of selection for resistance and argue for coordination between the integrated vector control program and the Ministry of Agriculture to permit successful implementation of rational resistance management strategies.

Dataset Information

Increased endophily by the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in southern Zambia and identification of digested blood meals.

Publications

Increased endophily by the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in southern Zambia and identification of digested blood meals.

Similar Datasets

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