Can water-level management reduce malaria mosquito abundance around large dams in sub-Saharan Africa? - Fig 3

<p>Mean anopheline larval density in the four groups of experimental dams with different water drawdown rates during the dry and main transmission season: (A) main transmission season (October-November 2013); (B) dry season (February-March 2014). Vertical bars indicate standard error.</p

<i>Anopheles</i> species occurrence in experimental dams with different water level drawdown rates in different seasons.

<p><i>Anopheles</i> species occurrence in experimental dams with different water level drawdown rates in different seasons.</p

Schematic of the experimental dam.

<p>Schematic of the experimental dam.</p

Experimental dam.

<p>Experimental dam.</p

Comparison of mean larval density between treatment and control groups with different water drawdown rate in different seasons.

<p>[Group 1 (control) = 0 mm.d^-1; Group 2 = 10 mm.d^-1; Group 3 = 20 mm.d^-1; Group 4 = 20 mm.d^-1. SE refers to standard error].</p

MOESM1 of Chicken volatiles repel host-seeking malaria mosquitoes

Additional file 1. Synthetic compounds used for the verification of physiologically active compounds in the natural headspace extracts of cattle hair, sheep wool, goat hair and chicken feathers

MOESM4 of A(maize)ing attraction: gravid Anopheles arabiensis are attracted and oviposit in response to maize pollen odours

Additional file 4. Number of individual gravid Anopheles arabiensis attracted and eggs laid in the oviposition assay in response to the synthetic blends

MOESM2 of A(maize)ing attraction: gravid Anopheles arabiensis are attracted and oviposit in response to maize pollen odours

Additional file 2. Number of eggs laid by gravid An opheles arabiensis in the oviposition assay in response to headspace volatile extracts of BH-660 and ZM-521 maize cultivars

Mean density (±SE) of <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> collected per sticky trap/night from different sampling habitats in Libo-Kemkem (May 2011 to April 2012) and Metema (October 2012 to September 2013).

<p>Mean density (±SE) of <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> collected per sticky trap/night from different sampling habitats in Libo-Kemkem (May 2011 to April 2012) and Metema (October 2012 to September 2013).</p

Studies on sand fly fauna and ecological analysis of <i>Phlebotomus orientalis</i> in the highland and lowland foci of kala-azar in northwestern Ethiopia

<div><p>Background</p><p>Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) also known as kala-azar is a growing health problem in Ethiopia with an estimated annual VL incidence between 3700 and 7400. The disease is mainly endemic in northwestern parts of the country. The aim of the current study was to determine the sand fly fauna and ecology of <i>Phlebotomus orientalis</i> in two endemic and ecologically distinct areas of northwestern Ethiopia.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Sand flies were collected using CDC light traps, sticky traps and pyrethrum spray catches from peri-domestic, mixed forest, farm field and indoor habitats from both Libo-Kemkem (May 2011-April 2012) and Metema (October 2012-September 2013) districts.</p><p>Results</p><p>A total of 51,411 sand fly specimens were collected and identified (10,776 from highland and 40, 635 from the lowland areas). Seven species were found in the highland area: two <i>Phlebotomus</i> spp. (<i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> and <i>P</i>. <i>rodhaini</i>) and five <i>Sergentomyia</i> species. Whereas 19 species were found in the lowland area: six <i>Phlebotomus</i> (<i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i>, <i>P</i>. <i>rodhaini</i>, <i>P</i>. <i>bergeroti</i>, <i>P</i>. <i>duboscqi</i>, <i>P</i>. <i>papatasi</i> and <i>P</i>. <i>martini</i>) and 13 <i>Sergentomyia</i> species. Of the <i>Phlebotomus</i> spp., <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> was the predominant species in both the highland (99.9%) and lowland (93.7%) areas. Indoor collections using pyrethrum spray catches and sticky traps indicated that <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> has a strong exophilic and exophagic behaviors in both districts. In both areas, this species showed seasonal occurrence and showing abundance during the dry months (March-May/June) of the year and increasing in numbers till the rain season, when numbers dropped dramatically. Mean density of <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> in the two areas had positive and significant correlation with mean temperature in light trap collections (P<0.05). However, mean density of <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> in the two areas in sticky trap collections had positive and insignificant association with the temperature (P>0.05). Regarding the rainfall pattern, density of <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> had negative and statistically insignificant correlation (for light trap collections for both areas) and significant correlation (for sticky trap collections for lowland area).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The current study indicated the variation in sand fly fauna between the highland and lowland districts, wherein, <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> was found to be the most abundant <i>Phlebotomus</i> species. The study also determined that <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> exhibits distinct seasonality, where its abundance increases during the dry season and disappears when the rainy period starts in both study areas. This entomological observation on the bionomics of <i>P</i>. <i>orientalis</i> provides significant evidence for considering vector control or preventive measures in the areas studied.</p></div