Kenya Medical Research Institute, Center for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya.
Parasit Vectors. 2013 Feb 14;6:37. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-37.
Anopheles merus, a sibling species of the Anopheles gambiae complex occurs along the East African coast but its biology and role in malaria transmission in this region is poorly understood. We evaluated the blood feeding pattern and the role of this species in malaria transmission in Malindi district, Coastal Kenya.
Adult mosquitoes were collected indoors by CDC light traps and Pyrethrum Spray Catch and outdoors by CDC light traps. Anopheles females were identified to species by morphological characteristics and sibling species of An. gambiae complex distinguished by rDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Screening for host blood meal sources and presence or absence of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite proteins was achieved by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA).
Anopheles merus comprised 77.8% of the 387 Anopheles gambiae s.l adults that were collected. Other sibling species of Anopheles gambiae s.l identified in the study site included An. arabiensis(3.6%), and An. gambiae s.s. (8%). The human blood index for An. merus was 0.12, while the sporozoite rate was 0.3%.
These findings suggest that An. merus can play a minor role in malaria transmission along the Kenyan Coast and should be a target for vector control which in turn could be applied in designing and implementing mosquito control programmes targeting marsh-breeding mosquitoes; with the ultimate goal being to reduce the transmission of malaria associated with these vectors.
东非沿海地区存在冈比亚按蚊复合体的亲缘种——淡色库蚊，但其生物学特性及其在该地区疟疾传播中的作用尚不清楚。本研究评估了肯尼亚沿海省马林迪地区淡色库蚊的吸血模式及其在疟疾传播中的作用。
采用 CDC 诱蚊灯和除虫菊酯喷雾诱捕法在室内和室外收集成蚊。通过形态学特征和 rDNA 聚合酶链反应（PCR）将冈比亚按蚊复合体的按蚊雌蚊鉴定到种，并用 rDNA 聚合酶链反应（PCR）将冈比亚按蚊复合体的按蚊雌蚊鉴定到种。采用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测宿主血液来源和疟原虫环子孢子蛋白的存在或缺失。
在收集到的 387 只冈比亚按蚊 s.l 成蚊中，淡色库蚊占 77.8%。在研究地点鉴定出的其他冈比亚按蚊 s.l 亲缘种包括阿蚊（3.6%）和冈比亚按蚊 s.s.（8%）。淡色库蚊的人血指数为 0.12，而孢子率为 0.3%。
这些发现表明，淡色库蚊在肯尼亚沿海地区的疟疾传播中可能发挥次要作用，应成为病媒控制的目标，这反过来又可以应用于设计和实施针对沼泽滋生蚊子的蚊子控制计划；最终目标是减少与这些病媒相关的疟疾传播。
