Environmental Characteristics of Anopheline Mosquito Larval Habitats
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Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine (2013)510-515 510 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine journal homepage:www.elsevier.com/locate/apjtm Document heading doi: Environmental characteristics of anopheline mosquito larval habitats in a malaria endemic area in Iran 1,2 3 3 4 Moussa Soleimani Ahmadi *, Hassan Vatandoost , Ahmad Ali Hanafi Bojd , Mehdi Zare , Reza 5 - 5 5- - Safari , Abdolrasul Mojahedi , Fatemeh Poorahmad Garbandi - 1Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran 2Infectious Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran 3Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health & National Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 4Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran 5Hormozgan Health Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Objective: To determine the effects of environmental parameters ofMethods: larval habitats on distribution Received 9 September 2012 and abundance of anopheline mosquitoes in Rudan county of Iran. This cross-sectional Received in revised form 12 April 2013 study was conducted during the mosquito breeding season from February 2010 to October 2011. Accepted 14 April 2013 The anopheline larvae were collected using the standard dipping method. The specimens were Available online 20 July 2013 identified using a morphological-based key. Simultaneously with larval collection, environmental parameters of the larval habitats including water current and turbidity, sunlight situation, and substrate type of habitats were recorded. Water samples were taken from breeding sites during Keywords: larval collection. Before collection of samples, the water temperature was measured. The water Anopheles samples were analysed for turbidity, conductivity, total alkalinity, total dissolved solid, pH and S Larval habitats ions including chloride, sulphate, calcium, and magnesium. tatistical correlation analysis and ANOVA Malaria test were usedResults: to analyze the association between environmentalAnopheles parameters and larval I 2 973 Rudan mosquito abundance. n total larvae of the genus were collected from 25An. larval dthali habitats andAn. identified stephensi using morphologicalAn. culicifacies characters. TheyAn. comprised superpictus of six species:An. Iran ( %) ( %) ( %) ( %) turkhudi 53.21 , An. apoci 24.22 , 14.06 , An. dthali 4.07 , ( %) ( %) 3.30 , and 1.14 . The most abundant species An. was dthali An.which stephensi were collected from all of the study areas. Larvae of two malaria vectors, and , co-existed and collected in a wide range of habitats with different physico-chemical parameters. The most common larval habitats were man-made sites such as sand mining pools with clean and still water. The anopheline mosquitoes also preferred permanent habitats in sunlight with sandy substrates. The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between mean physico- chemical parameters such as water temperature,Conclusions: conductivity, total alkalinity, sulphate, chloride, and mosquito distribution and abundance. The results of this study showed a correlation between certain environmental parameters and mosquito larvae abundance, and these parameters should be considered in planning and implementing larval control programs. 1. Introduction to the report of Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the country, burden of the disease has been successfully reduced and a nationwide campaign was launched by the Malaria is one of the most important vector borne diseases Iranian Government in 2010, to eliminate malaria in most that is currently endemic in the southeast of Iran. According endemic regions by 2025[1]. The National Malaria Control Programmes in Iran currently rely on strategies targeting *Corresponding author: Dr M. Soleimani-Ahmadi, Department of Medical Entomology vector control, which focused on indoor residual spraying, & Vector Control, School of Public Health, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, application of larvicides and the use of long-lasting Iran. P.O. Box: 79145-3838, Bandar Abbas, Iran. [1,2] Tel/Fax: +98 761 3338583-4 insecticidal nets . E-mail: [email protected] Anopheline mosquito breeding generally occurs in Foundation project: This study received financial support from Research Deputy of different types of water and a wide range of habitats which Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (Project No. 3232). Moussa Soleimani-Ahmadi et al./Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine (2013)510-515 511 2 may be natural or man-made, temporary or permanent, an area of approximately 60 km in the Rudan county, southeast shaded or sunny[3]. Certain environmental parameters of Iran. are particularly influential in determining larval habitat The study villages were chosen based on similarity in suitability for the different anopheline vectors, including ecology and human population densities. In the study area, size and permanence of the water body, water salinity and natural and man-made obstacles such as sand mining turbidity, amount of sunlight, and presence of emergent pools and temporary earth dams block the water flow and or floating vegetation[4]. Each anopheline species has its create places in which mosquitoes breed. The selected study preferred breeding site for oviposition, depending on factors villages had exhibited documented consistent and recurring such as weather conditions, physical geography and human endemic malaria transmission in the Rudan county. The [5] ° ’ ° ’ activity . The physico-chemical parameters of the water county° ’ is located° ’ between 27 05 -27 59 N latitudes and probably determine the selection of larval habitats. Various 56 50 -57 29 E longitudes with approximately 112 423 physico-chemical properties of the larval habitat such as individuals in 2010. Relative humidity and° temperature pH, optimum temperature, concentration of ammonia, nitrate are ranged between 26%-74% and 15-44 C, respectively, and sulphate have been found to affect larval development while average of annual rainfall is about 162 mm. The main and survival[6]. The breeding habitat is crucial for mosquito economic activities in the area are farming and livestock population dynamics, since it is the location where many herding. Malaria is a major public health problem in this important life cycle processes such as oviposition, larval county and occurs year-round with peaks after the two development, and emergence take place[7]. annual rainy seasons (April-June and October -December). A strong association exists between the density and 2.2. Larval collection distribution of the mosquito larval stages and that of the adult vectors. Control of larval mosquito populations is often advantageous because the larvae are usually concentrated, Larval specimen collection was carried out in the selected relatively immobile, and occupy minimal habitat area villages at different times during the mosquito breeding compared with adults that can rapidly disperse over large season from February 2010 to October 2011. In each village, areas[8]. Larval control measures are intended to reduce all larval habitats present in and within a 500-m radius of malaria transmission indirectly by reducing the vector the village were sampled for anopheline larvae using the population density near human habitations. As the larvae standard dipper (11.5 cm diameter and 350 mL capacity) are exclusively aquatic, their distribution is determined by according to WHO procedures[15]. When mosquito larvae the locations of suitable water bodies. Therefore, knowledge were present, 10-30 dips were taken depending on the of the ecological characteristics of the larval habitats and size of each larval habitat at intervals along the edge. In the environmental factors affecting mosquito abundance can small habitats, dippers were not effective and larvae were [7,9] S help in designing optimal vector control strategiesAnopheles. collected individually using plastic pipettes. amplings I I stephensi n ran, An.five dthalianophelineAn. culicifacies species includingAn. fluviatilis were always done by the same individual in the morning (08 00 12 00) (14 00 17 00) 30 An. superpictus, , , and : - : or afternoon : - : for about min at are widespread and constitute the malaria each larval habitat. All third and fourth instar anopheline [10-13] vectors in south and south-east of the country . Rudan larvae were preserved in lacto-phenol. In the laboratory,’ is a malaria endemic focus in the southeast of Iran and local each larva was individually mounted in Berlese s medium transmission occurs in this county. Larval control through on a microscope slide and identified to species by environmental management and the use of chemical and morphological criteria[16,17]. biological larvicides is implemented as part of an integrated 2.3. Environmental characteristics of larval habitats H approach to malaria control in this area. owever, forprogram larval control is an integral part of a vector management , it is crucial to understand the environmental characteristics Simultaneously with larval sampling, the environmental and factors affecting larval activity of the principal malaria characteristics of each larval habitat were