Project Title: Bio-Physical factors influencing oviposition site selection and behaviour of female Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.I) species in a semi-field system
Project Description: The most available and commonly used vector control interventions, LINs, and IRS that target adults have reduced vector population and malaria incidence in some sub-Saharan African countries. However, the disease is still a huge burden due to the development of multiple resistance to the chemicals used in these interventions, change from indoor to outdoor biting behaviour, species dynamics and host preference by some vector species, and insufficient ITN and IRS usage. There is a need... The most available and commonly used vector control interventions, LINs, and IRS that target adults have reduced vector population and malaria incidence in some sub-Saharan African countries. However, the disease is still a huge burden due to the development of multiple resistance to the chemicals used in these interventions, change from indoor to outdoor biting behaviour, species dynamics and host preference by some vector species, and insufficient ITN and IRS usage. There is a need to supplement these vector control interventions with larval source management (LSM) because the immature stages of the vectors are less mobile. However, in places with numerous and conducive oviposition sites, LSM may hardly reduce the vector population below the economic threshold. The success of LSM is heavily reliant on understanding the oviposition behavior of female An. gambiae considering the bio-physical factors of their breeding habitats. There is a knowledge gap in this area. This study will investigate the oviposition behavior of female An. gambiae, the dominant vectors of P. falciparum, the causative agent of malaria in Uganda and establish whether they lay eggs in single or multiple habitats considering the bio-physical factors of artificially created habitats in a semi-field system. General objective To generate information on oviposition behaviour of female An. gambiae that can contribute to the development of an effective intervention based on the LSM approach to reduce vector population in the fight against malaria. Specific objectives 1. To examine whether gravid female An. gambiae lay eggs in single or multiple aquatic habitats of varying depth and sizes in a semi-field system. 2. To determine the influence of selected aquatic macroinvertebrate predators on oviposition behaviour of female An. gambiae in artificial habitats of a semi-field system. 3. To investigate the influence of intra and interspecific larval instars and densities on oviposition behaviour of female An. gambiae in artificial habitats of a semi-field system. 4. To explore the oviposition preference of female An. gambiae to breeding sites with rice and maize pollen in artificial habitats of a semi-field system.
Principal Investigator : Emanuel Kaindoa
Department Name :
Time frame: (2021-07-01) - (2022-06-30)
The Uganda Virus Research Institute (Normal)
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