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MALARIA VECTOR PRODUCTIVITY IN RELATION TO THE HIGHLAND ENVIRONMENT IN KENYA

The reasons for the resurgence of malaria in the African highlands have been subject of debate. Because vector abundance is important for malaria transmission, gaining a better understanding of vector biology is a key to understanding the mechanisms of highland malaria. We studied vector productivity in relation to the highland environment and compared productivity between lowland and highland sites. We found lower vector productivity in the highland and in wetlands where the temperature was lower. Immature stage development time was significantly longer in the highland site. Development time was significantly shorter in aquatic habitats in cultivated areas than in wetlands, and survival rate was significantly higher in cultivated areas. Fecundity was significantly lower in the highland site. These findings suggest that changes in local temperature and land use contribute to an increase of malaria vectors in the highland.

Received August 22, 2005. Accepted for publication March 19, 2006.

Acknowledgments: This paper is published with permission of the Director, Kenya Medical Research Institute. We thank Ben Omboko, Paul Ochiele, Bernard Ouma, Amos Ouko, Gilbert Marita, Abireo Festus, Ateko Ken, and Justus Wafula for technical assistance.

Financial support: This work was supported by NIH Grants R01 A150243 and D43 TW01505.

^* Address correspondence to Guiyun Yan, Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, NY 14260. E-mail: gyan{at}buffalo.edu

Authors’ addresses: Noboru Minakawa, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan. Elizabeth Omukunda and Andrew Githeko, Climate and Human Health Research Unit, Center for Vector Biology and Control Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, PO Box 1578-40100, Kisumu, Kenya. Guofa Zhou and Guiyun Yan, Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260.

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				G. Zhou, S. Munga, N. Minakawa, A. K. Githeko, and G. Yan Spatial Relationship between Adult Malaria Vector Abundance and Environmental Factors in Western Kenya Highlands Am J Trop Med Hyg, July 1, 2007; 77(1): 29 - 35. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]