Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Taylor, Roz
• Messenger, Louisa A.
• Abeku, Tarekegn A.
• Clarke, Sian E.
• Yadav, Rajpal S.
• Lines, Jo

Titel

Invasive Anopheles stephensi in Africa: insights from Asia

Ist Teil von

• Trends in parasitology, 2024-08, Vol.40 (8), p.731-743

Ort / Verlag

England: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2024

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• There is a wealth of data regarding the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi bionomics in Asia which is applicable to understanding its invasion across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).An. stephensi bionomics are highly variable between populations across Asia, but there are several important characteristics seen widely that set it apart from the native vectors in SSA. Its ability to exploit both animal and human hosts, and rest both indoors and outdoors, is likely to reduce the impact of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs).Crucially, its ability to breed in a diversity of man-made habitats and containers is likely to increase the risk of malaria in areas where transmission was previous low or absent.As large regions of SSA are undergoing rapid urbanisation, several aspects of this process will create habitats likely to facilitate the spread of An. stephensi. These drivers cannot be neglected in our response to An. stephensi. Anopheles stephensi is a highly competent urban malaria vector species, endemic in South Asia and the Persian Gulf, which has colonised eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) since 2013 and is now spreading uncontrollably. In urban areas of Africa, where malaria transmission has previously been low or non-existent, the invasion of An. stephensi represents a significant problem, particularly to immunologically naïve populations. Despite this rapidly advancing threat, there is a paucity of information regarding the bionomics of An. stephensi in SSA. Here, we offer a critical synthesis of literature from An. stephensi’s native range, focusing on the future of An. stephensi in a rapidly urbanising Africa, and highlighting key questions that warrant prioritisation by the global malaria vector control community. Anopheles stephensi is a highly competent urban malaria vector species, endemic in South Asia and the Persian Gulf, which has colonised eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) since 2013 and is now spreading uncontrollably. In urban areas of Africa, where malaria transmission has previously been low or non-existent, the invasion of An. stephensi represents a significant problem, particularly to immunologically naïve populations. Despite this rapidly advancing threat, there is a paucity of information regarding the bionomics of An. stephensi in SSA. Here, we offer a critical synthesis of literature from An. stephensi’s native range, focusing on the future of An. stephensi in a rapidly urbanising Africa, and highlighting key questions that warrant prioritisation by the global malaria vector control community.