Diversity and distribution of mosquitoes in households in Aporotuku village, Apac District, Uganda
Abstract
Globally, there are over 3,000 species of mosquito species. Most studies in sub-Saharan African tend to focus on those species that are either of medical or veterinary importance. This study, aimed at assessing the mosquito species diversity, composition and relative abundance in Aporotuku village. To achieve these objectives, the study used two methods for collecting adult mosquitoes; Pyrethrum spray catch and window exit traps. A total of 64 households were sampled; 58 using pyrethrum spray and six households using the window exit traps respectively, Consent from household was sought prior to start of sampling. Collected mosquitoes were kept in entomological boxes, and brought to the laboratory for morphological identification using a dissecting microscope. All trapped mosquitoes were put into a 1.7mL sized eppendorf tubes which were then stored in white Zip lock bags containing silica gel used to prevent moisture and decay, A total of 2053 mosquitoes belonging to two genera were caught. Anopheles spp. was the most abundant with 74.5% and Culex spp comprised 25.5%. In terms of species, the most abundant one was Anopheles gambiae s.l. (41.5%) followed by Anopheles funestus s.l. (33.0%) and Culex spp (25.5 %). Relatively low mosquito diversity (H’= 0.46) and (SDI= 0.65) was observed indicating the relatedness of mosquito species to each other. Three types of bed net types were being used in sampled households (Permanent 3.0, permanent 2.0 and Olyset Net). This study found variation in the abundance of mosquito species and densities in households with different types of long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets. There was a significant difference between the two sampling methods (p< 0.05, 93.6 % Pyrethrum Spray Catch, 6.4% Window Exit Trap). The number of females and male mosquitoes significantly varied in the study area (F1,88= 199.2, p< 0.05) with females having higher numbers (91.9%) than males in all the 64 households sampled. Also, there was a higher mosquito population in houses with treated bed nets than in those without nets, except for houses with the Olyset net type. These mosquitoes which are potential vectors in the area act as a hotspot for disease transmission in case of epidemics which greatly need to be targeted for control and more evaluation on the effectiveness of current interventions in the entire district is needed.