Abstract
This study was conducted to confirm the Anopheles spp as malaria vector inhabits forested areas in Western Lampung Regency, Sumatra Island, Indonesia. Anopheles spp. were sampled using the human landing catch method at a remote forest habitat. Each caput and thorax of Anopheles balabacensis specimen was placed separately inside a sterilized mortar and the tissue homogenized using a sterile pestle. The total DNA was extracted from the tissues according to QIAamp DNA Mini Kit protocol. The presence of malaria parasites in the mosquitoes was detected using nested PCR by targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Plasmodium. A PCR primer pair, rPLU1, and rPLU5, was used in the first PCR reaction, while another pair (Pkr and Pkf) was used in the second PCR reaction for detecting Plasmodium knowlesi. There was only 1 Anopheles balabacensis mosquito caught in a remote forest habitat during this study. The results of the molecular analysis showed a positive result for Plasmodium knowlesi, which showed a similarity level of 99% with Plasmodium knowlesi isolates from JOHOR02.018S, and Plasmodium knowlesi clone H033H82 isolates from Serawak, and Plasmodium knowlesi genome isolates SWK113.2.18S. It is a confirmed natural vector of Plasmodium knowlesi namely Anopheles balabacensis in a remote forest habitat in Kecamatan Balik Bukit.
Highlights
2 Materials and MethodsWorld Health Organization in 2016 stated that malaria had infected 106 countries in the world including Indonesia [1]
Our study proves that An. balabacensis that we found in the remote forest in Kecamatan Balik Bukit was positive for P. knowlesi
This is the first finding in Indonesia and especially in Sumatra that An. balabacensis is a natural vector of zoonotic malaria knowlesi
Summary
World Health Organization in 2016 stated that malaria had infected 106 countries in the world including Indonesia [1]. It was due to some settlements in West Lampung that are close to forests inhabited by Macaca monkeys [2] which elsewhere can be reservoirs of Plasmodium knowlesi. This parasite is recognized as a significant cause of human malaria, with cases reported across all countries of Southeast Asia. This study was conducted to confirm the Anopheles spp as malaria vector inhabits forested areas in Western Lampung Regency, Sumatra Island, Indonesia. The population in this study were all Anopheles spp. in the research area in Kubu Perahu Village, Liwa City, West Lampung Regency, Lampung Province. Sampling was conducted using a non-probability sampling method so that the sample size is adjusted to the number of mosquitoes that are caught
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