Assessing the risk of malaria mosquitoes by identifying the genetic basis of their host preference
Project overview
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Short summary
The vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa are changing, reducing the efficacy of our control efforts with our current monitoring tools, in an ever-increasing number of difficult to predict regions.
The once prominent human preferring and indoor biting species, Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, is being superseded as the main vector of malaria in many regions by Anopheles arabiensis, a species in which various populations demonstrate surprisingly plastic biting and host preferences. Populations of An. arabiensis also differ in their degree of human preference, from highly anthropophilic to highly zoophilic. Therefore, our human host- and indoor biting-centred vector control measures are not nearly as effective against this rising threat. The development of a screening tool to quickly and accurately assess the host preference of An. arabiensis populations is required to enable the rational targeting of vector control resources to communities known to be at risk for significant malaria transmission.
The purpose of the proposed research is to identify genetic markers of host preference in the malaria vector mosquito An. arabiensis, to be integrated into current monitoring protocols to assess the current, and predict future, human biting risk of An. arabiensis populations associated with human habitation. The aim of the project is to increase the portfolio of existing vector control tools that can be integrated for the sustainable control of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.