Abstract
Change in climatic and socio-economic situations is paving the way for the spread of malaria in highland areas which were generally known to be malaria free. Despite this, information regarding highland malaria transmission is scarce. Thus, the present study investigated entomological parameters linked to malaria transmission in the highlands of Southern Ethiopia. A longitudinal entomological study was conducted in three localities situated at different altitudes ranging between 1300 and 2650m above sea level in Derashe district, Southern Ethiopia. Larval and adult anopheline mosquitoes were collected between October 2011 and February 2012. An. arabiensis and An. funestus s.l existed at significantly higher densities in the lowland (Wozeka) in contrast to An. christyi and An. Demeilloni, which were more abundant in the highland localities (P < 0.01). Conversely, An. pharoensis and An. cinereus were scarce and only found in the lowland and highlands, respectively. Habitats of larvae of An. arabiensis were characterized as clear, sun-lit, permanent, still water (streams) without vegetation and situated close to human habitations. On the other hand, habitats of An. christyi are shaded, still, turbid and contain natural water (rain pools) with vegetation and mats of algae. The relative abundance of An. Arabiensis, which is the primary malaria vector in Ethiopia is significantly and positively correlated with water temperature, pH and average depth (P < 0.05). An. arabiensis, An. funestus s.l and An. demeilloni showed zoophilic and exophilic tendencies. None of the anophelines tested for P. falciparum and P. vivax sporozoite infections were positive. In conclusion, malaria parasites and vectors existed in the highlands of Derashe District. Therefore, appropriate disease and vector control strategies must be designed and implemented to prevent potential outbreaks.
Highlights
Change in climatic and socio-economic situations is paving the way for the spread of malaria in highland areas which were generally known to be malaria free
Non-immune people living in highland areas frequently move to malaria endemic areas for various purposes such as searching for farm land and seeking job opportunities [5], which may pave the way for encroachment of the disease to the highland
Epidemics have frequently been reported in the highlands of Ethiopia [6] and An. arabiensis was the species often reported from the highlands [7,8]
Summary
Change in climatic and socio-economic situations is paving the way for the spread of malaria in highland areas which were generally known to be malaria free. It has been generally known that malaria transmission usually only occurss in areas below 2,000 meters above sea level. This trend has changed and has moved up to 2,500 meters above sea level, mainly due to climate change and land-use changes [1,2]. Non-immune people living in highland areas frequently move to malaria endemic areas for various purposes such as searching for farm land and seeking job opportunities [5], which may pave the way for encroachment of the disease to the highland.
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