Entomological survey of sibling species in the Anopheles funestus group in Tanzania confirms the role of Anopheles parensis as a secondary malaria vector

Background Malaria transmission in Tanzania is driven by mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae complex and Anopheles funestus group. The latter includes An . funestus s.s., an anthropophilic vector, which is now strongly resistant to public health insecticides, and several sibling species, which remai...

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Published in:Parasites & vectors Vol. 17; no. 1; p. 261
Main Authors: Mapua, Salum Abdallah, Samb, Badara, Nambunga, Ismail Hassan, Mkandawile, Gustav, Bwanaly, Hamis, Kaindoa, Emmanuel Wilson, Odero, Joel Ouma, Masalu, John Paliga, Kahamba, Najat Feruz, Hape, Emmanuel Elirehema, Govella, Nicodem James, Okumu, Fredros Oketch, Tripet, Frederic
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London BioMed Central 17.06.2024
BioMed Central Ltd
BMC
Subjects:
Animals
Anopheles
Anopheles - classification
Anopheles - genetics
Anopheles - parasitology
Anopheles - physiology
Anopheles funestus
Anopheles gambiae
Antimalarials
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Care and treatment
Control
Diagnosis
disease control
DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics
Dosage and administration
Entomology
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
Female
Humans
Identification and classification
Infectious Diseases
insect surveys
Insecticides
internal transcribed spacers
Malaria
Malaria - epidemiology
Malaria - transmission
mosquito vectors
Mosquito Vectors - classification
Mosquito Vectors - genetics
Mosquito Vectors - parasitology
Mosquito Vectors - physiology
Parasitology
Plasmodium
Plasmodium - classification
Plasmodium - genetics
Plasmodium - isolation & purification
Plasmodium falciparum
Polymerase Chain Reaction
public health
ribosomal DNA
Risk factors
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S - genetics
sibling species
species diversity
Surveys
Tanzania
Tanzania - epidemiology
Tropical Medicine
vectorial capacity
Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science
Virology
Tanzania
Malaria
Tanzania
Plasmodium
Anopheles funestus
ISSN:1756-3305, 1756-3305
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Background Malaria transmission in Tanzania is driven by mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae complex and Anopheles funestus group. The latter includes An . funestus s.s., an anthropophilic vector, which is now strongly resistant to public health insecticides, and several sibling species, which remain largely understudied despite their potential as secondary vectors. This paper provides the initial results of a cross-country study of the species composition, distribution and malaria transmission potential of members of the Anopheles funestus group in Tanzania. Methods Mosquitoes were collected inside homes in 12 regions across Tanzania between 2018 and 2022 using Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps and Prokopack aspirators. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting the noncoding internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and 18S ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) were used to identify sibling species in the An . funestus group and presence of Plasmodium infections, respectively. Where DNA fragments failed to amplify during PCR, we sequenced the ITS2 region to identify any polymorphisms. Results The following sibling species of the An . funestus group were found across Tanzania: An . funestus s.s. (50.3%), An . parensis (11.4%), An . rivulorum (1.1%), An . leesoni (0.3%). Sequencing of the ITS2 region in the nonamplified samples showed that polymorphisms at the priming sites of standard species-specific primers obstructed PCR amplification, although the ITS2 sequences closely matched those of An . funestus s.s., barring these polymorphisms. Of the 914 samples tested for Plasmodium infections, 11 An . funestus s.s. (1.2%), and 2 An . parensis (0.2%) individuals were confirmed positive for P . falciparum . The highest malaria transmission intensities [entomological inoculation rate (EIR)] contributed by the Funestus group were in the north-western region [108.3 infectious bites/person/year (ib/p/y)] and the south-eastern region (72.2 ib/p/y). Conclusions Whereas An . funestus s.s. is the dominant malaria vector in the Funestus group in Tanzania, this survey confirms the occurrence of Plasmodium -infected An . parensis , an observation previously made in at least two other occasions in the country. The findings indicate the need to better understand the ecology and vectorial capacity of this and other secondary malaria vectors in the region to improve malaria control. Graphical Abstract
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ISSN:1756-3305
1756-3305
DOI:10.1186/s13071-024-06348-9