Survey of mosquitoes larvae at Bayero University, Kano students’ hostels (Old Campus) (Culicidae: Diptera)

Abstract

The risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases upon being bitten by an infected mosquitoraises serious health concerns for both staff and students in educational settings. Consequentlya survey was conducted to identify various mosquito species and breeding sites within the oldcampus hostels of Bayero University, Kano, during January and February 2023. The surveyencompassed breeding sites such as stagnant pools of water, drainages, gutters, and discardedcontainers. Mosquito larvae were sampled using dippers and scoops, and their enumerationwas performed with a Pasteur pipette. Three genera were identified: Anopheles, Aedes, andCulex spp. A total of 1,115 larvae were sampled from six locations, per volume of water comprising three each from female hostels and three from male hostels respectively. Theprevalence of mosquitoes was higher in female hostels (785 larvae, 69.4%) compared to malehostels (370 larvae, 32.7%). In female hostels, Aedes sp. exhibited greater abundance (400, 50.9%) than Culex sp. (337, 42.9%), with Anopheles sp. being the least abundant (48, 6.11%).Conversely, in male hostels, Culex sp. dominated with 186 (50.2%), followed by Aedes sp. with 179 (48.3%), while Anopheles sp. was the least abundant with 5 (1.35%). Consequently, the mean abundance of mosquitoes between male and female hostels demonstrated a significantdifference. This study contributes valuable insights into the larval habitats of mosquitoes in thestudents’ hostels of Bayero University, Kano, specifically during the dry season. Factors suchas student activities, inadequate sensitization, and poor sanitation were identified as majorcontributors to the creation of breeding sites for mosquitoes in the hostels.