National Malaria Control Program, Ministry of Health Development, Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
Parasit Vectors. 2022 Jul 8;15(1):247. doi: 10.1186/s13071-022-05339-y.
Malaria control in Somaliland depends on the effective identification of potential malaria vectors, particularly those that may be invasive. The malaria vector Anopheles stephensi has been detected in multiple countries in the Horn of Africa (HOA), but data on its geographic distribution and population genetic diversity are incomplete. We implemented a vector surveillance program and performed molecular analysis of Anopheles in three urban areas in Somaliland. Our study confirmed the presence of both the invasive An. stephensi and the long-established HOA malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis. Further analysis of An. stephensi genetic diversity revealed three cytochrome oxidase I (COI) haplotypes, all of which have been observed in other countries in East Africa and one also observed in South Asia. We also detected the knockdown resistance (kdr) L1014F mutation, which is associated with pyrethroid resistance; this finding supports the need for further assessment of the potential for insecticide resistance. The detection of multiple haplotypes previously observed in other regions of East Africa indicates that An. stephensi is an established population in Somaliland and likely shares its origin with other newly identified An. stephensi populations in East Africa. The detection of genetic diversity in An. stephensi in Somaliland provides a basis for future studies on the history of the species in the region and its dispersal throughout East Africa.
在索马里兰，疟疾控制依赖于对潜在疟疾病媒，特别是那些可能具有入侵性的疟疾病媒的有效识别。在非洲之角（HOA）的多个国家已经检测到疟疾媒介按蚊斯蒂芬斯，但关于其地理分布和种群遗传多样性的数据并不完整。我们在索马里兰的三个城区实施了一项病媒监测计划，并对按蚊进行了分子分析。我们的研究证实了具有入侵性的按蚊斯蒂芬斯和长期存在的 HOA 疟疾媒介按蚊阿拉伯尼西亚斯的存在。对按蚊斯蒂芬斯遗传多样性的进一步分析揭示了三种细胞色素氧化酶 I（COI）单倍型，这些单倍型在东非的其他国家都有观察到，其中一种也在南亚观察到。我们还检测到与拟除虫菊酯抗性相关的击倒抗性（kdr）L1014F 突变；这一发现支持了进一步评估潜在杀虫剂抗性的必要性。在东非其他地区观察到的多种单倍型的检测表明，按蚊斯蒂芬斯在索马里兰是一个已建立的种群，其起源可能与东非其他新发现的按蚊斯蒂芬斯种群相同。在索马里兰按蚊斯蒂芬斯遗传多样性的检测为该地区该物种的历史及其在东非的传播的未来研究提供了基础。
