Productivity of Malaria Vectors from Drainage Ditches in Niamey, Republic of Niger - Abstract
Malaria is a public health priority in Niger. We carried out an entomological study in 10 neighborhoods of the city of Niamey. We collected mosquitoes every three days, from each site, for 15 days at the end of the dry season and 15 days during the mid-rainy season in 2011, 2013, and 2014. A single collection of larvae was carried out at a drainage ditch and a pond during the rainy season of 2016. We sought pre-imaginal stages at 16 breeding sites, 38% of which were open-air ditches for the drainage of domestic waste water and rainwater. Anophelinelarvae were raised until adult emergence. In addition to harvesting larvae, adult mosquitoes were captured using light traps and knock-down insecticide sprays. We harvested a total of 10,551 Culicidae larvae, composed of Anopheles sp., Culex sp. and Mansonia sp. Twelve percent (12%) of the larvae collected were Anopheles sp. Anopheline larvae were found at four of the six surveyed open ditches, accounting for 12.7% of collected larvae. The search for adults yielded 20,274 Culicidae females (35.2% Anopheles sp.). This survey reveals that the open ditches of Niamey, despite being severely polluted are productive breeding grounds for Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.).