Abstract
BackgroundUnderstanding the ecology of larval malaria and lymphatic filariasis mosquitoes in a changing environment is important in developing effective control tools or programmes. This study characterized the breeding habitats of Anopheles mosquitoes in rural communities in different ecological zones in Ghana during the dry and rainy seasons.MethodsThe spatio-temporal distribution, species composition, and abundance of larval Anopheles mosquitoes in breeding habitats were studied in five locations in three ecological zones of Ghana. These were Anyakpor (coastal savannah area), Duase (forest area), and Libga, Pagaza, and Kpalsogu (Sahel savannah area). Larvae were collected using standard dippers and were raised in the insectary for identification.ResultsOut of a total of 7984 mosquito larvae collected, 2152 (27.26%) were anophelines and were more abundant in the rainy season (70.82%) than in the dry season (29.18%). The anophelines comprised 2128 (98.88%) An. gambiae s.l., 16 (0.74%) An. rufipes, and 8 (0.37%) An. pharoensis. In the coastal savannah and forest zones, dug-out wells were the most productive habitat during the dry (1.59 larvae/dip and 1.47 larvae/dip) and rainy seasons (11.28 larvae/dip and 2.05 larvae/dip). Swamps and furrows were the most productive habitats in the Sahel savannah zone during the dry (0.25 larvae/dip) and rainy (2.14 larvae/dip) seasons, respectively. Anopheles coluzzii was the most abundant sibling species in all the ecological zones. Anopheles melas and An. arabiensis were encountered only in the coastal savannah and the Sahel savannah areas, respectively. Larval habitat types influenced the presence of larvae as well as larval density (p < 0.001). The land-use type affected the presence of Anopheles larvae (p = 0.001), while vegetation cover influenced larval density (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe most productive habitats were dug-out wells in the coastal savannah and forest zones, and furrows from irrigated canals in the Sahel savannah zone. Anopheles coluzzii was the predominant vector species in all the ecological zones. The abundance of Anopheles breeding habitats and larvae were influenced by anthropogenic activities. Encouraging people whose activities create the larval habitats to become involved in larval source management such as habitat manipulation to stop mosquito breeding will be important for malaria and lymphatic filariasis control.
Highlights
Understanding the ecology of larval malaria and lymphatic filariasis mosquitoes in a changing environment is important in developing effective control tools or programmes
This study revealed that Anopheles larvae were predominantly present in breeding habitats with vegetation cover of less than 24%
The results revealed that irrigated farms contribute to higher populations of malaria mosquitoes, as this system of agriculture creates many habitats suitable for Anopheles mosquito larvae
Summary
Understanding the ecology of larval malaria and lymphatic filariasis mosquitoes in a changing environment is important in developing effective control tools or programmes. Anopheles mosquitoes are important vectors that transmit diseases including malaria and lymphatic filariasis, among others [1]. Species of the Anopheles gambiae complex prefer to breed in shallow water collections that are open to sunlight [3]. Their breeding habitats can have varying sizes of water bodies that are natural or man-made, permanent or temporary, freshwater or saline [2, 4]. The choice of oviposition sites of mosquitoes is influenced by myriad environmental factors, which include climatic components such as temperature, rainfall, vegetation, salinity and turbidity of the water, the size of the habitat, and the amount of sunlight [2]. Variation in rainfall patterns or seasonal changes can affect the availability of larval habitats and larval productivity [3]
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