Abstract
The Colombian Pacific region is second nationally in number of malaria cases reported. This zone presents great ecological heterogeneity and Anopheles species diversity. However, little is known about the current spatial and temporal distribution of vector species. This study, conducted in three ecologically different localities of the Pacific region, aimed to evaluate the composition and distribution of Anopheles species and characterize transmission intensity. A total of 4,016 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected representing seven species. The composition and dominant species differed in each locality. Three species were infected with malaria parasites: Anopheles darlingi and An. calderoni were infected with Plasmodium falciparum and An. nuneztovari with Plasmodium vivax VK210 and VK247. Annual EIRs varied from 3.5–7.2 infective bites per year. These results confirm the importance of the primary vector An. nuneztovari in areas disturbed by human interventions, of An. darlingi in deforested margins of humid tropical rainforest and An. albimanus and the suspected vector An. calderoni in areas impacted by urbanization and large-scale palm oil agriculture close to the coast. This constitutes the first report in the Colombia Pacific region of naturally infected An. darlingi, and in Colombia of naturally infected An. calderoni. Further studies should evaluate the epidemiological importance of An. calderoni in the Pacific region.
Highlights
The Colombian Pacific (PAC) region is second in the number of national malaria cases reported [1], registering an average of 30% of the total cases [2,3,4] with the majority of cases due to infection with Plasmodium falciparum Welch (.60%) [1]
Anopheles (Kerteszia) neivai Howard, Dyar & Knab, a species closely associated with forest bromeliads and mangroves [13], is a locally important vector in PAC and has been reported infected with P. falciparum [13] and P. vivax [8,14]
Existing records suggest an epidemiological association of Anopheles (Anopheles) punctimacula Dyar & Knab with malaria outbreaks in this area [15,16]; this species was detected with salivary gland sporozoites of P. vivax in NW Colombia [17]
Summary
The Colombian Pacific (PAC) region is second in the number of national malaria cases reported [1], registering an average of 30% of the total cases [2,3,4] with the majority of cases due to infection with Plasmodium falciparum Welch (.60%) [1]. Three species considered the main Colombian malaria vectors are present in the PAC region [7,8,9], with reports of natural Plasmodium infection for Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) nuneztovari Gabaldon [10] and Anopheles (Nys.) albimanus Wiedemann [8]. Anopheles (Kerteszia) neivai Howard, Dyar & Knab, a species closely associated with forest bromeliads and mangroves [13], is a locally important vector in PAC and has been reported infected with P. falciparum [13] and P. vivax [8,14]. In Piura Department in neighboring Peru, An. calderoni was infected with P. vivax and considered a locally important vector [22,23] These observations suggest the need for further evaluation of the identity of these species and their involvement in malaria transmission
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