Dataset Information

Technical Workflow Development for Integrating Drone Surveys and Entomological Sampling to Characterise Aquatic Larval Habitats of Anopheles funestus in Agricultural Landscapes in Cote d'Ivoire

ABSTRACT: Land-use practices such as agriculture can impact mosquito vector breeding ecology, resulting in changes in disease transmission. The typical breeding habitats of Africa's second most important malaria vector Anopheles funestus are large, semipermanent water bodies, which make them potential candidates for targeted larval source management. This is a technical workflow for the integration of drone surveys and mosquito larval sampling, designed for a case study aiming to characterise An. funestus breeding sites near two villages in an agricultural setting in Côte d'Ivoire. Using satellite remote sensing data, we developed an environmentally and spatially representative sampling frame and conducted paired mosquito larvae and drone mapping surveys from June to August 2021. To categorise the drone imagery, we also developed a land cover classification scheme with classes relative to An. funestus breeding ecology. We sampled 189 potential breeding habitats, of which 119 (63%) were positive for the Anopheles genus and nine (4.8%) were positive for An. funestus. We mapped 30.42 km2 of the region of interest including all water bodies which were sampled for larvae. These data can be used to inform targeted vector control efforts, although its generalisability over a large region is limited by the fine-scale nature of this study area. This paper develops protocols for integrating drone surveys and statistically rigorous entomological sampling, which can be adjusted to collect data on vector breeding habitats in other ecological contexts. Further research using data collected in this study can enable the development of deep-learning algorithms for identifying An. funestus breeding habitats across rural agricultural landscapes in Côte d'Ivoire and the analysis of risk factors for these sites.

SUBMITTER: Byrne I

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8575637 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundEntomological surveillance provides critical information on vectors for appropriate malaria vector control and strategic decision-making. The widely documented insecticide resistance of malaria vectors in Côte d'Ivoire requires that any vector control intervention deployment be driven by entomological data to optimize its effectiveness and appropriate resource allocations. To achieve this goal, this study documents the results of monthly vector surveillance and insecticide susceptibility tests conducted in 2019 and a review of all previous entomological monitoring data used to guide vector control decision making. Furthermore, susceptibility to pirimiphos-methyl and clothianidin was assessed in addition to chlorfenapyr and pyrethroids (intensity and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) synergism) tests previously reported. Vector bionomic data were conducted monthly in four sites (Sakassou, Béoumi, Dabakala and Nassian) that were selected based on their reported high malaria incidence. Adult mosquitoes were collected using human landing catches (HLCs), pyrethrum spray catches (PSCs), and human-baited CDC light traps to assess vector density, behaviour, species composition and sporozoite infectivity.ResultsPirimiphos-methyl and clothianidin susceptibility was observed in 8 and 10 sites, respectively, while previous data reported chlorfenapyr (200 µg/bottle) susceptibility in 13 of the sites, high pyrethroid resistance intensity and increased mortality with PBO pre-exposure at all 17 tested sites. Anopheles gambiae sensu lato was the predominant malaria vector collected in all four bionomic sites. Vector density was relatively higher in Sakassou throughout the year with mean biting rates of 278.2 bites per person per night (b/p/n) compared to Béoumi, Dabakala and Nassian (mean of 48.5, 81.4 and 26.6 b/p/n, respectively). The mean entomological inoculation rate (EIR) was 4.44 infective bites per person per night (ib/p/n) in Sakassou, 0.34 ib/p/n in Beoumi, 1.17 ib/p/n in Dabakala and 1.02 ib/p/n in Nassian. The highest EIRs were recorded in October in Béoumi (1.71 ib/p/n) and Nassian (3.22 ib/p/n), in July in Dabakala (4.46 ib/p/n) and in May in Sakassou (15.6 ib/p/n).ConclusionBased on all results and data review, the National Malaria Control Programme developed and implemented a stratified insecticide-treated net (ITN) mass distribution in 2021 considering new generation ITNs. These results also supported the selection of clothianidin-based products and an optimal spraying time for the first indoor residual spraying (IRS) campaign in Sakassou and Nassian in 2020.

Project description:BackgroundThe role of larval predators in regulating the Anopheles funestus population in various malaria-endemic countries remains relatively unknown. This study aimed to investigate the common predators that co-exist with Anopheles funestus group larvae and evaluate factors that influence their abundance in rural south-eastern Tanzania.MethodsMosquito larvae and predators were sampled concurrently using standard dipper (350 ml) or 10 L bucket in previously identified aquatic habitats in selected villages in southern Tanzania. Predators and mosquito larvae were identified using standard identification keys. All positive habitats were geo-located and their physical features characterized. Water physicochemical parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and temperature were also recorded.ResultsA total of 85 previously identified An. funestus aquatic habitats in nine villages were sampled for larvae and potential predators. A total of 8,295 predators were sampled. Of these Coenagrionidae 57.7% (n = 4785), Corixidae 12.8% (n = 1,060), Notonectidae 9.9% (n = 822), Aeshnidae 4.9% (n = 405), Amphibian 4.5% (n = 370), Dytiscidae 3.8% (n = 313) were common. A total of 5,260 mosquito larvae were sampled, whereby Anopheles funestus group were 60.3% (n = 3,170), Culex spp. 24.3% (n = 1,279), An. gambie s.l. 8.3% (n = 438) and other anophelines 7.1% (n = 373). Permanent and aquatic habitats larger than 100m2 were positively associated with An. funestus group larvae (P<0.05) and predator abundance (P<0.05). Habitats with submerged vegetation were negatively associated with An. funestus group larvae (P<0.05). Only dissolved oxygen (DO) was positively and significantly affect the abundance of An. funestus group larvae (P<0.05). While predators' abundance was not impacted by all physicochemical parameters.ConclusionSix potential predator families were common in aquatic habitats of An. funestus group larvae. Additional studies are needed to demonstrate the efficacy of different predators on larval density and adult fitness traits. Interventions leveraging the interaction between mosquitoes and predators can be established to disrupt the transmission potential and survival of the An. funestus mosquitoes.

Project description:BackgroundPyrethroid-treated mosquito nets are currently the mainstay of vector control in Côte d'Ivoire. However, resistance to pyrethroids has been reported across the country, limiting options for insecticide resistance management due to the paucity of alternative insecticides. Two types of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), ITNs with pyrethroids and the synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO), and Interceptor®G2 nets, a net treated with a combination of chlorfenapyr and alpha-cypermethrin, are believed to help in the control of pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes.MethodsThe susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) to pyrethroid insecticides with and without pre-exposure to PBO as well as to chlorfenapyr was investigated in fifteen sites across the country. Susceptibility tests were conducted on 2- to 4-day old adult female An. gambiae s.l. reared from larval collections. The resistance status, intensity, and effects of PBO on mortality after exposure to different concentrations of deltamethrin, permethrin and alpha-cypermethrin were determined using WHO susceptibility test kits. In the absence of a WHO-recommended standard protocol for chlorfenapyr, two interim doses (100 and 200 µg/bottle) were used to test the susceptibility of mosquitoes using the CDC bottle assay method.ResultsPre-exposure to PBO did not result in full restoration of susceptibility to any of the three pyrethroids for the An. gambiae s.l. populations from any of the sites surveyed. However, PBO pre-exposure did increase mortality for all three pyrethroids, particularly deltamethrin (from 4.4 to 48.9%). Anopheles gambiae s.l. from only one site (Bettie) were susceptible to chlorfenapyr at the dose of 100 µg active ingredient (a.i.)/bottle. At the dose of 200 µg (a.i.)/bottle, susceptibility was only recorded in 10 of the 15 sites.ConclusionLow mosquito mortality was found for pyrethroids alone, and while PBO increased mortality, it did not restore full susceptibility. The vector was not fully susceptible to chlorfenapyr in one third of the sites tested. However, vector susceptibility to chlorfenapyr seems to be considerably higher than for pyrethroids alone or with PBO. These data should be used cautiously when making ITN procurement decisions, noting that bioassays are conducted in controlled conditions and may not fully represent field efficacy where the host-seeking behaviours, which include free-flying activity are known to enhance pro-insecticide chlorfenapyr intoxication to mosquitoes.

Project description:BACKGROUND:In Côte d'Ivoire, induced abortion is legally restricted unless a pregnancy threatens a woman's life. Yet the limited available evidence suggests abortion is common and that unsafe abortion is contributing to the country's high maternal mortality. Our study aimed to estimate the one-year incidence of induced abortion in Côte d'Ivoire using both direct and indirect methodologies, determine the safety of reported abortions, and identify the women most likely to experience a recent induced abortion or an unsafe abortion. METHODS:In 2018, we conducted a nationally representative, population-based survey of women age 15 to 49 in Côte d'Ivoire. Women reported their own abortion experiences and those of their closest female confidante. We estimated the one-year incidence of induced abortion, and the safety of the abortions women experienced. Using bivariate and multivariate regression, we separately assessed sociodemographic characteristics associated with having had a recent abortion or an unsafe abortion. RESULTS:Overall, 2,738 women participated in the survey, approximately two-thirds of whom reported on the abortion experiences of their closest female friend. Based on respondent data, the one-year incidence of induced abortion was 27.9 (95% CI 18.6-37.1) per 1,000 women of reproductive age, while the confidante incidence was higher at 40.7 (95% CI 33.3-48.1) per 1,000. Among respondents, 62.4% of abortions were most unsafe, while 78.5% of confidante abortions were most unsafe. Adolescents, less educated women, and the poorest women had the most unsafe abortions. CONCLUSION:This study provides the first national estimates of induced abortion incidence and safety in Côte d'Ivoire, using a population-based approach to explore social determinants of abortion and unsafe abortion. Consistent with other research, our results suggest that legal restrictions on abortion in Côte d'Ivoire are not preventing women from having abortions, but rather pushing women to use unsafe, potentially dangerous abortion methods. Efforts to reduce the harms of unsafe abortion are urgently needed.

Dataset Information

Technical Workflow Development for Integrating Drone Surveys and Entomological Sampling to Characterise Aquatic Larval Habitats of Anopheles funestus in Agricultural Landscapes in Cote d'Ivoire

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets