Impact of sugarcane irrigation on malaria vector Anopheles mosquito fauna, abundance and seasonality in Arjo-Didessa, Et
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Malaria Journal Open Access
RESEARCH
Impact of sugarcane irrigation on malaria vector Anopheles mosquito fauna, abundance and seasonality in Arjo‑Didessa, Ethiopia Assalif Demissew1,2*, Dawit Hawaria3,4,7, Solomon Kibret6, Abebe Animut2, Arega Tsegaye5,7, Ming‑Cheih Lee6, Guiyun Yan6 and Delenasaw Yewhalaw4,7
Abstract Background: Despite extensive irrigation development in Ethiopia, limited studies assessed the impact of irrigation on malaria vector mosquito composition, abundance and seasonality. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of sugarcane irrigation on species composition, abundance and seasonality of malaria vectors. Methods: Adult Anopheles mosquitoes were collected using CDC light traps from three irrigated and three nonirrigated clusters in and around Arjo-Didessa sugarcane irrigation scheme in southwestern Ethiopia. Mosquitoes were surveyed in four seasons: two wet and two dry, in 2018 and 2019. Mosquito species composition, abundance and seasonality were compared between irrigated and non-irrigated clusters. Anopheles mosquitoes were sorted out to species using morphological keys and molecular techniques. Chi square was used to test the relationships between Anopheles species occurrence, and environmental and seasonal parameters. Results: Overall, 2108 female Anopheles mosquitoes comprising of six species were collected. Of these, 92.7% (n = 1954) were from irrigated clusters and 7.3% (n = 154) from the non-irrigated. The Anopheles gambiae complex was the most abundant (67.3%) followed by Anopheles coustani complex (25.3%) and Anopheles pharoensis (5.7%). PCRbased identification revealed that 74.7% (n = 168) of the An. gambiae complex were Anopheles arabiensis and 22.7% (n = 51) Anopheles amharicus. The density of An. gambiae complex (both indoor and outdoor) was higher in irrigated than non-irrigated clusters. The overall anopheline mosquito abundance during the wet seasons (87.2%; n = 1837) was higher than the dry seasons (12.8%; n = 271). Conclusion: The ongoing sugarcane irrigation activities in Arjo-Didessa created conditions suitable for malaria transmitting Anopheles species diversity and abundance. This could drive malaria transmission in Arjo-Didessa and its environs in both dry and wet seasons. Currently practiced malaria vector interventions need to be strengthened by including larval source management to reduce vector abundance in the irrigated areas. Keywords: Malaria, Irrigation, Anopheles mosquitoes, Vector density, Anopheles amharicus, Ethiopia Background Irrigation-based agriculture has been largely promoted to alleviate poverty and improve economic growth in *Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
Africa [1]. However, existing evidence shows that irrigation might increase the risk of vector-borne diseases such as malaria [2–5]. Man-made environmental modifications and expansion of unplanned w
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