Main malaria vector distribution and current status of insecticide resistance in Kenya
Abstract
Thorough understanding of malaria vectors distribution is important in generation of spatiotemporal information on species binomics. The current study was carried out with the objective of generating information on the binomics and current insecticide resistance of the competent vectors in Kenya. Additionally, entomological surveillance on the competent vectors was conducted along the Kenyan coast. Data on entomological profiles were obtained from published and unpublished literature searches.
Data were abstracted, entered into Microsoft excel and maps were then generated using ArcGIS 10. Regarding entomological surveillance, adult and immature mosquitoes were sampled and then identified to species level. Presence of sporozoites and blood-meal sources were analyzed using CS and blood-meal ELISA respectively.
Results obtained from the searches showed that An. gambiae S.s. was largely distributed in Western and Coastal region with isolated focal presence in Central Kenya. Similarly, widely distribution was observed for An. arabiensis and An. funestus while An. merus was limited to Kenyan Coast. Insecticide resistance to pyrethroids and DDT was documented in Western Kenya.
Results from the entomological surveillance obtained a total of 456 Anopheles gambiae s.1. and 148 An. funestus s.l. adults and 567 Anopheles larvae. An. arabiensis was the predominant species in An. gambiae complex. A majority of the blood-meal sources were of human origin and sporozoite rates were very low. In conclusion, Entomological database provide valuable data on the species bionomics, and can be used by malaria control managers for routine entomological surveys for policy and strategy. Though resistance to pyrethroids has been detected, pyrethroids remain effective in the control of malaria vectors in Kenya.
Publisher
University of Nairobi, Kenya