Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Mar 2006)

The importance of Anopheles albitarsis E and An. darlingi in human malaria transmission in Boa Vista, state of Roraima, Brazil

  • Marinete Marins Póvoa,
  • Raimundo Tadeu Lessa de Souza,
  • Raimundo Nonato da Luz Lacerda,
  • Edvaldo Santa Rosa,
  • Deocleciano Galiza,
  • James Rodrigues de Souza,
  • Robert A Wirtz,
  • Carl D Schlichting,
  • Jan E Conn

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0074-02762006000200008
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 101, no. 2
pp. 163 – 168

Abstract

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In several districts of Boa Vista, state of Roraima, Brazil we found Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis E to be the primary vector of human malaria parasites, and during 2001-2002 it was significantly more abundant than An. darlingi (p < 0.001). Other species sampled were An. (Nys.) braziliensis, An. (Ano.) peryassui, An. (Nys.) nuneztovari, An. (Nys.) oswaldoi s.l., and An. (Nys.) triannulatus. As determined by the ELISA technique An. darlingi had a higher overall infection rate (2.1%) compared with An. albitarsis E (1.2%). However, a marginally higher proportion of An. albitarsis E was infected with Plasmodium vivax compared with An. darlingi, and the An. albitarsis E biting index was also much higher. These results suggest the importance of An. albitarsis E in malaria transmission in a savannah ecoregion of northern Amazonian Brazil, and reconfirm the importance of An. darlingi even if at lower abundance.

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