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Duke University

Publication Date

Spring 2024

Program Name

Tanzania-Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management

Abstract

Malaria is a serious illness that causes over 500,000 deaths annually worldwide, with Tanzania alone contributing to approximately 4% of those deaths. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium spp. parasites, and it is vectored by mosquitoes in the Anopheles genus. In Zanzibar City, the incidence of malaria has decreased over the past few decades due to standardized treatment protocols and public health interventions targeting adult mosquitoes. However, the incidence remains between 1-2%, with an increasing trend observed over the past few years likely stemming from continued exchange of Plasmodium spp. from other malaria-endemic areas. Because larvicidal strategies can be useful in lowering the population of adult Anopheles spp. mosquitoes, and no larval surveys had been done in Zanzibar City, I aimed to characterize Anopheles spp. breeding sites in Zanzibar City during the rainy season. Using systematic larval surveys across 16 semipermanent/permanent water bodies and 30 temporary water bodies, I show that Anopheles spp. prefer concrete, semipermanent breeding sites with high levels of dissolved oxygen saturation, but are able to utilize natural sites after heavy rains. These data, therefore, suggest that Anopheles spp. have not yet expanded to using more polluted breeding sites in Zanzibar City. Additionally, we present a model incorporating rainfall that can be used to predict Anopheles larvae presence. Taken together, the data from my study support the current targetability of Anopheles larvae with environmentally-friendly larvicides in Zanzibar City.

Disciplines

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Entomology | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Studies | Parasitic Diseases

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