Characterisation of human exposure to nocturnal biting by malaria and arbovirus vectors in a rural community in Chókwè district, southern Mozambique

Pinto, João, Abilio, Ana Paula, Machoe, Elias, Matusse, Júlio and McCall, Philip ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0007-3985 (2023) 'Characterisation of human exposure to nocturnal biting by malaria and arbovirus vectors in a rural community in Chókwè district, southern Mozambique'. Wellcome Open Research, Vol 8, Issue 193.

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Abstract

Background:
Understanding the magnitude of human exposure to mosquito biting is fundamental to reduce pathogen transmission. Here we report on a study quantifying the levels of mosquitoes attacking humans throughout the night in a rural area of Southern Mozambique.

Methods:
Surveys were carried out in Massavasse village, southern Mozambique. The abundance and composition of host-seeking mosquito communities at night were assessed by human-landing catches (HLC) at one-hour intervals. Periods when people were located predominantly outdoors or indoors were used to estimate the amount of residents’ exposure to mosquito bites in either location, to explore the potential impact a bed net could have had in reducing biting by each vector species.

Results:
A total of 69,758 host-seeking female mosquitoes comprising 23 species in four genera were collected. The exposure to biting by virtually all vector species was consistently high outdoors, typically at early evening and morning, with exception of An. gambiae s.l which was likely of biting a person with nearly same intensity indoors and outdoors throughout the night. Bed nets use could have reduced biting by An. gambiae s.l (dominated by An. arabiensis), Ma. africana, Ma. uniformis, Cx. pipiens, Cx. antennatus, and Cx. poicilipes by 53%, 47%, 46%, 38%, 31%, and 28% respectively, compared to non-users. Conversely, a bed net user would have had little protection against An. pharoensis, An. ziemanni, An. tenebrosus, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus biting exposures.

Conclusions:
This study showed that Massavasse residents were exposed to high levels of outdoor biting by malaria and arbovirus vectors that abound in the village. The findings help to identify entomological drivers of persistent malaria transmission in Mozambique and identify a wide range of arbovirus vectors nocturnally active in rural areas, many with outbreak potential. The study highlights the need for a surveillance system for monitoring arboviral diseases vectors in Mozambique.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Infectious Mononucleosis. Arbovirus Infections > WC 524 Arbovirus infections WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 750 Malaria
Faculty: Department:	Biological Sciences > Vector Biology Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19278.1
Depositing User:	Maria Grimes
Date Deposited:	11 May 2023 09:41
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2023 12:38
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/22470

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