A type of mosquito known to transmit malaria has been detected in Ethiopia for the first time, crossing from the Middle East, India, and China, putting more people at risk for malaria in new regions.
A Baylor University study identified the mosquito, led by Tamar Carter, assistant professor of tropical disease biology in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. While malaria already exists in Ethiopia — particularly in its northern, western and eastern lowland regions — the addition of yet another potential carrier could fuel its spread. Its transmission in the region is traditionally seasonal and unstable, but as the migration of people increases in the region, such as malaria-endemic areas along the rivers, the danger grows.
“We need to confirm that Anopheles stephensi carries malaria parasites in Ethiopia,” Carter said. “We also need to investigate how the Anopheles stephensi got to Ethiopia and other parts of the Horn of Africa. The question I am particularly interested in is if Anopheles stephensi is a relatively recent introduction or something that has been flying under the radar in Ethiopia for a long time.”
The ongoing study will use genomic techniques and research both the feeding and breeding behavior of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito. Further efforts have an eye on control as well, with intentions to test how well this mosquito responds to pesticides and other measures. The findings could affect the nation’s public health response measures.
Figures from the World Malaria Report of 2017 show that 68 percent of Ethiopia’s population is at risk of malaria. To date, it sees an average of 2.5 million cases each year. The next step of the study will utilize mosquito surveys throughout Ethiopia, in both rural and urban regions.