Studies on malaria transmission in Orissa State, India 1981 through 1986. II: Observations on the Anopheles fauna.

A general presentation is made of data derived from systematic trend studies on the Anopheles fauna in 12 study villages of Orissa State, India. Adult and larval species prevalences, seasonal densities of prominent anophelines and predilections of various species to feed on human blood are discussed and demonstrated.

Studies on malaria transmission in Orissa state: Part I. Development of a methodology for systematic studies.

Standardized collections of Anopheles were conducted by three Entomology Field Investigation Units (FIU's) working in three distinctively different areas of Orissa State. The FIU's conducted identical routine weekly work schedules in each of 12 mesoendemic or hyperendemic study villages every month. In addition, monthly house-to-house fever case surveys were conducted in each study village and biannual malariometric surveys were carried out with the timing being shifted, so that eventually all seasons were included. Such complete, extensive and meticulous entomological and epidemiological data have not been obtained earlier from this area. In fact, until the present longitudinal data became available, it was necessary to rely upon information which was gathered some 40 years ago, when environmental conditions were substantially different. The ensuing article describes the methodology that was employed to establish these systematic studies.

Gel diffusion determinations on feeding behaviour patterns of anophelines in Orissa State, India.

In 1981 Entomological Field Research Units were established in three districts of Orissa State, India, from which Anopheles bloodmeals were forwarded regularly for analysis to an Entomological Laboratory in Bhubaneswar. At the onset of 1982, the laboratory introduced a modified gel diffusion technique for determining the origin of mosquito bloodmeals and by the end of 1983, 22,300 smears had been processed and analyzed. The technique is relatively very simple, fast and inexpensive. The results are reproducible and the use of double controls (negative and positive) ensure a high degree of reliability.