Mosquito vector biting and community protection in a malarious area, siahoo district, Hormozgan, Iran

Use of bed-net continues to offer potential strategy for malaria prevention in endemic areas. Local communities are indispensable during design and implementation stages. A cross-sectional study of 192 randomly selected inhabitants was carried out in malarious zone, Siahoo direstrict, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran. In addition, we monitored human landing periodicity of main malaria vectors and as well as self-protection of inhabitant in the study area for a period of one transmission season between April to October 2006. The biting activities were seen throughout the whole night for three malaria vectors, Anopheles jluviatilis, An. stephensi and An. dthali, and An. fluviatilis exhibiting bimodal peaks, the first at midnight [0:00-1:00] and the other before dawn [5:00-6:00 am] but the maximum biting activity of An. stephensi was occurred at second quarter of night [11:00-12:00 pm]. The majority of interviewers [83.3%] knew that malaria was transmitted by mosquitoes and 70.3% of them stated that bed-net is the best control measures. Most subjects [62%] did not have a mosquito net. Study subjects were aware of an association between mosquito bite and malaria transmission. Health workers at different levels of the health care delivery system should disseminate relevant information about self-protection to help community members to be involved more in malaria control

Study on fungal flora in the midgut of the larva and adult of the different populations of the malaria vector anopheles stephensi

Many microorganisms in midgut of mosquito challenge with their host and also other pathogens present in midgut. The aim of this study was presence of non-pathogens microorganisms like fungal flora which may be crucial on interaction between vectors and pathogens. Different populations of Anopheles stephensi were reared in insectary and objected to determine fungal flora in their midguts. The midgut paunch of mosquito adults and larvae as well as breading water and larval food samples transferred on Subaru-dextrose agar, in order to detect the environment fungus. Although four fungi, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Geotrichum and Sacharomyces were found in the food and water, but only Aspiragilus observed in the midgut of larvae. No fungus was found in the midgut of adults. This is the first report on fungal flora in the midgut of the adults and larvae of An. stephensi and possible stadial transmission of fungi from immature stages to adults. The midgut environment of adults is not compatible for survivorship of fungi but the larval midgut may contain few fungi as a host or even pathogen

[Comparison of knowledge, attitude and practice [KAP] regarding malaria transmission and protection between afghan refugees and Iranian residents in Iranshahr, 2005-2006]

The aim of present study is to compare Afghan refugees and Iranian residents in terms of their knowledge, attitude and practice concerning malaria transmission and protection in an endemic area in Southeast Iran. This cross sectional study was conducted over a period of 10 months [2004-2005] and involved a total of 775 people, including Iranian and Afghan subjects. The age range of participants was 15 to 55 years. Data collection was done through a structured questionnaire consisting of open and close questions and comprising several, namely personal characteristics details, history of malaria infection and treatments, type of residence, mobility, self protection, facilities, and access to health services. Both Iranians and Afghans were familiar with the three typical symptoms of the disease [fever, chills and muscle aches]: 67.1% of Iranians and 78% of Afghans were able to name least one of the three typical symptoms. In both groups the majority of subjects were aware that malaria transmission occurs through mosquito bite but there was a significant difference regarding knowledge of malaria transmission [CHI2 = 142.2, P<0.001]. Chi-square test for goodness of fit showed that the distribution of symptom indicators is significantly different between the two groups. For Iranians, the most important source of information about malaria was the health facilities [44.5% of the total] while most Afghans [65.3%] had obtained the information through friends and relatives. In both groups, the mass media had acted as the source of information in only 3.4%. Altogether, 24% of the participants reported the use of mosquito bed nets; almost 90% of Afghans and 62% of Iranians said that they did not used bed nets at all. However, the number of Iranians who used bed nets was four times greater than the Afghans who did so. Although the majority of subjects were familiar with malaria transmission and protection methods, they largely neglected safety precautions. Moreover, it seems that the high prevalence of malaria among Afghans is due to their life style rather than cross-border travel. The study also revealed that Afghan people have poor communication with the local health facilities, a point that must receive special attention in future malaria control programs

Anthropophily of malaria vectors in kahnouj district, Southof Kerman, Iran

This study was conducted to investigate hematophagic tendencies of the malaria vector based on a seasonal basis as well as by geographical region in a malaria endemic area in Kahnouj, southern Iran. This study was carried out for 14 months from Apr/ 2002 up to the end of May 2003. Female anophelines were collected from different shelters in hilly and plain regions of Kahnouj district and their blood meal was tested using ELISA test methods. The five vectors that were active in the study area consisted of An. fluviatilis, An. stephensi, An. dthali, An. culicifacies, and An. superpictm. The dominant Anopheline in hilly areas was An. fluviatilis sibling species T. This species was active during whole year and reached a peak in December. In contrast the dominant species in flat regions was An. stephensi which showed strongly endophilic behavior with two seasonal activity peaks. The anthropophilic index for An. fluviatilis and An. stephensi was estimated at 2.68% and 0.5%, respectively. The population of other species was too low and they did not show a propensity for human blood. The most malaria cases occurred in the hilly area where An. fluviatilis is the active dominant species. It seems that An. fluviatilis is responsible for transmission of malaria in hilly districts of Kahnouj. Thus malaria transmission in this study area is much influenced by resident's rest habits while a wild vector, An. fluviatilis shows exophilic behavior and uses microclimate shelters with high incidence of human blood feeding. Thus, adapting people to use personal protection such as a bed net instead of residual spraying may be considered as an effective measure in malaria control in hilly regions

Comparison of Midgut Hemagglutination Activity in Three Different Geographical Populations of Anopheles stephensi

Lectins that agglutinate red blood cells [RBCs] were demonstrated in Anopheles stephensi mosquito midgut extracts using human [four groups: A, B, AB and O, RH+] rat, sheep and rabbit blood cells. Only rabbit RBCs showed agglutination reaction against the midgut extracts. Significant differences in hemagglutinin titers and carbohydrate specifity were detected between male and female mosquitoes as well as among three different geographical populations of Anopheles stephensi from south of Iran. Overall agglutinin levels were increased following a blood meal. The highest hemagglintination titers were due to Kazerun population. All hemagglutination assays were versus rabbit RBCS. A significant difference was detected among the number of egg-float ridges. Iranshahr population was different from B and ar-abbas and Kazerun population in egg-float ridges number. B and r-abbas population was in the intermediate category. Iranshahr population fell between mysoransis and intermediate group and Kazerun population was between intermediate and type form. This study presents the first report on the occurrence of heterogeneous anti Rabbit RBC agglutinins in the midget extracts of the different geographical populations of An.stephensi with the sugar - binding specificities. The sugar- inhibition pattern was different between and within geographical population of An.stephensi