TY - JOUR
T1 - Extensive new Anopheles cryptic species involved in human malaria transmission in western Kenya
AU - Zhong, Daibin
AU - Hemming-Schroeder, Elizabeth
AU - Wang, Xiaoming
AU - Kibret, Solomon
AU - Zhou, Guofa
AU - Atieli, Harrysone
AU - Lee, Ming Chieh
AU - Afrane, Yaw A.
AU - Githeko, Andrew K.
AU - Yan, Guiyun
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).
PY - 2020/12/1
Y1 - 2020/12/1
N2 - A thorough understanding of malaria vector species composition and their bionomic characteristics is crucial to devise effective and efficient vector control interventions to reduce malaria transmission. It has been well documented in Africa that malaria interventions in the past decade have resulted in major changes in species composition from endophilic Anopheles gambiae to exophilic An. arabiensis. However, the role of cryptic rare mosquito species in malaria transmission is not well known. This study examined the species composition and distribution, with a particular focus on malaria transmission potential of novel, uncharacterized Anopheles cryptic species in western Kenya. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS2 and COX1 genes revealed 21 Anopheles mosquito species, including two previously unreported novel species. Unusually high rates of Plasmodium sporozoite infections were detected in An. funestus, An. gambiae and eight cryptic rare species. Plasmodium falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale sporozoite infections were identified with large proportion of mixed species infections in these vectors. This study, for the first time, reports extensive new Anopheles cryptic species involved in the malaria transmission in western Kenya. These findings underscore the importance of non-common Anopheles species in malaria transmission and the need to target them in routine vector control and surveillance efforts.
AB - A thorough understanding of malaria vector species composition and their bionomic characteristics is crucial to devise effective and efficient vector control interventions to reduce malaria transmission. It has been well documented in Africa that malaria interventions in the past decade have resulted in major changes in species composition from endophilic Anopheles gambiae to exophilic An. arabiensis. However, the role of cryptic rare mosquito species in malaria transmission is not well known. This study examined the species composition and distribution, with a particular focus on malaria transmission potential of novel, uncharacterized Anopheles cryptic species in western Kenya. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS2 and COX1 genes revealed 21 Anopheles mosquito species, including two previously unreported novel species. Unusually high rates of Plasmodium sporozoite infections were detected in An. funestus, An. gambiae and eight cryptic rare species. Plasmodium falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale sporozoite infections were identified with large proportion of mixed species infections in these vectors. This study, for the first time, reports extensive new Anopheles cryptic species involved in the malaria transmission in western Kenya. These findings underscore the importance of non-common Anopheles species in malaria transmission and the need to target them in routine vector control and surveillance efforts.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091714532&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-020-73073-5
DO - 10.1038/s41598-020-73073-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 32999365
AN - SCOPUS:85091714532
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 10
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 16139
ER -