Abstract
South Africa aims to eliminate malaria within its borders by 2018. Despite well-coordinated provincial vector control programmes that are based on indoor residual insecticide spraying, low-level residual malaria transmission continues in the low-altitude border regions of the north-eastern sector of the country. In order to identify the underlying causes of residual transmission, an enhanced vector surveillance system has been implemented at selected sites in the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provinces. The collection periods for the data presented are March 2015 to April 2016 for Mpumalanga and January 2014 to December 2015 for KZN. The mosquito collection methods used included indoor and outdoor traps based on the use of traditional ceramic pots, modified plastic buckets and exit window traps (KZN only). All Anopheles funestus species group mosquitoes collected were identified to species and all females were screened for the presence of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. Two An. vaneedeni females, one from each surveillance site, tested positive for P. falciparum sporozoites. These are the first records of natural populations of An. vaneedeni being infective with P. falciparum. As both specimens were collected from outdoor-placed ceramic pots, these data show that An. vaneedeni likely contributes to residual malaria transmission in South Africa.
Highlights
Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium protozoa and transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)[1]
The indoor residual spraying (IRS) method has been the mainstay of malaria vector control in South Africa since the 1940s and has remained effective owing to carefully co-ordinated provincial IRS programmes[9]
The Anopheles species identification of these two specimens as An. vaneedeni was further confirmed by sequencing their internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region[14]
Summary
Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium protozoa and transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)[1]. Continuing residual malaria transmission and the burgeoning incidence of insecticide resistance in malaria vector populations within South Africa’s borders[4,12] have necessitated an intensification of vector surveillance activities in the affected provinces. Males Females are responsible for ongoing residual malaria transmission, to assess the extent of residual malaria transmission within South Africa and to assess the range and geographical extent of insecticide resistance in incriminated vector populations. Within these broad objectives, the aim of this project was to assess whether An. vaneedeni, a member of the An. funestus species group[13], contributes to residual malaria transmission in South Africa
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