BMC Malaria Journal (2016) 15 (124) - Anopheles subpictus carry ...

Ashwani Kumar, Rajeshwari Hosmani, Shivaji Jadhav, Trelita de Sousa, Ajeet Mohanty, Milind Naik, Adarsh Shettigar, Satyajit Kale, Neena Valecha, Laura Chery and Pradipsinh K. Rathod (2016)
Anopheles subpictus carry human malaria parasites in an urban area of Western India and may facilitate perennial malaria transmission
BMC Malaria Journal 15 (124)
Abstract:
Background
India contributes 1.5–2 million annual confirmed cases of malaria. Since both parasites and vectors are evolving rapidly, updated information on parasite prevalence in mosquitoes is important for vector management and disease control. Possible new vector-parasite interactions in Goa, India were tested.
Methods
A total of 1036 CDC traps were placed at four malaria endemic foci in Goa, India from May 2013 to April 2015. These captured 23,782 mosquitoes, of which there were 1375 female anopheline specimens with ten species identified using morphological keys. Mosquito DNA was analysed for human and bovine blood as well as for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infection.
Results
Human host feeding was confirmed in Anopheles stephensi (30 %), Anopheles subpictus (27 %), Anopheles jamesii (22 %), Anopheles annularis (26 %), and Anopheles nigerrimus (16 %). In contrast, Anopheles vagus, Anopheles barbirostris, Anopheles tessellates, Anopheles umbrosus and Anopheles karwari specimens were negative for human blood. Importantly, An. subpictus, which was considered a non-vector in Goa and Western India, was found to be a dominant vector in terms of both total number of mosquitoes collected as well as Plasmodium carriage. Plasmodium infections were detected in 14 An. subpictus (2.8 %), while the traditional vector, An. stephensi, showed seven total infections, two of which were in the salivary glands. Of the 14 An. subpictus infections, nested PCR demonstrated three Plasmodium infections in the salivary glands: one P. vivax and two mixed infections of P. falciparum and P. vivax. In addition, ten gut infections (one P. vivax, six P. falciparum and three mixed infections) were seen in An. subpictus. Longitudinal mosquito collections pointed to a bimodal annual appearance of An. subpictus to maintain a perennial malaria transmission cycle of both P. vivax and P. falciparum in Goa.
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Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anopheles barbirostris		India
	Anopheles karwari		India
	Anopheles subpictus		India
	Anopheles stephensi		India
	Anopheles umbrosus		India
	Anopheles nigerrimus		India
	Anopheles vagus		India
	Anopheles annularis		India
	Anopheles tessellatus		India
	Anopheles jamesii		India