Survey of seasonality, species composition and feeding behavior of anopheles mosquitoes in gold mining localities of western Ethiopia

• Published in: International journal of tropical insect science Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 441 - 447
• Main Authors: Ejeta, Desta, Geleta, Getachew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.04.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abundance; Anopheles; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic insects; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biting behavior; Culicidae; Density; Disease control; Entomology; Epidemiology; Feeding behavior; Gold; Gold mines & mining; Life Sciences; Light traps; Malaria; Mining; Morbidity; Mosquitoes; Original Research Article; Seasonal variations; Spatial distribution; Species composition; Surveys; Temporal distribution; Vector-borne diseases; Water resources; Ethiopia; Menge; Anopheles mosquito; Western Ethiopia; Malaria; Gold mining
• ISSN: 1742-7592; 1742-7584; 1742-7592
• DOI: 10.1007/s42690-023-00954-3

Malaria is the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia and 75% of the land of Ethiopia is malarious. Anthropogenic activities, such as mining and water resource projects (dams and irrigation) are among the major factors determining malaria epidemiology. The aim of this study was to disclose the seasonality, abundance, and biting behavior of Anopheles mosquitoes in the gold mining settings of western Ethiopia. A longitudinal entomological survey was conducted in traditional gold mining vicinities of Menge district, Western Ethiopia from January to December, 2021. Adult Anopheles mosquitoes were collected using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light trap and Pyrethrum Spray Catch (PSC) followed by identification and analysis. A total of 1882 Anopheles mosquitoes belonging to six species ( An. gambiae s.l., An. funestus, An. pharoensis , An. coustani, An. zeimanni and An. squamosus ) were collected during the study period. The highest number (59.29%; n = 1116 of Anopheles mosquitoes were collected from Shegole gold mining site compared to Kudyu site (41.23%; n = 766). Similarly, the density of An. gambiae s.l was high in Shegole (village with community exclusively depending on gold resource) (203, 60.23%). Outdoor host seeking mosquito density was higher (1111, 59%) than indoor host seeking mosquito density (771, 41%) (P < 0.05). The highest number of Anopheles mosquitoes was recorded in August with a mean density of 3.86 ± 1.548 followed by September (3.19 ± 1.499) while the lowest mosquito density was recorded in February with mean density of 3.00 ± 0.000. In conclusion, Anopheles mosquito abundance was seasonally lopsided among sites with varied gold mining practices in western Ethiopia. Anopheles gambiae s.l . was the predominant malaria vector with disparity in its spatio-temporal distribution.