Using the human blood index to investigate host biting plasticity: a systematic review and meta-regression of the three major African malaria vectors

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe proportion of mosquito blood-meals that are of human origin, referred to as the ‘human blood index’ or HBI, is a key determinant of malaria transmission. We conducted a systematic review of the HBI for the major African malaria vectors.RESULTSEvidence is presented for higher HBI among Anopheles gambiae (M/S forms and An. coluzzii/An. gambiae s.s. are not distinguished for most studies and therefore combined) as well as An. funestus when compared with An. arabiensis (prevalence odds ratio adjusted for collection location [i.e. indoor or outdoor]: 1.62; 95%CI 1.09-2.42; 1.84; 95%CI 1.35-2.52, respectively). This finding is keeping with the entomological literature which describes An. arabiensis to be more zoophagic than the other major African vectors. However, analysis also revealed that HBI was more associated with location of mosquito captures (R2=0.29) than with mosquito (sibling) species (R2=0.11).CONCLUSIONSOur findings call into question the appropriateness of current methods of assessing host preferences among disease vectors and have important implications for strategizing vector control.

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Daily survival and human blood index of major malaria vectors associated with oil palm cultivation in Cameroon and their role in malaria transmission

Tropical Medicine & International Health ◽

10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02726.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 447-457 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

M. C. Tanga ◽

W. I. Ngundu ◽

P.D. Tchouassi

Keyword(s):

Malaria Transmission ◽

Human Blood ◽

Oil Palm ◽

Malaria Vectors ◽

Human Blood Index ◽

Blood Index ◽

Daily Survival

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Feeding habits of anophelines (Diptera: Culicidae) in 1971–78, with reference to the human blood index: a review

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485300007422 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 70 (2) ◽

pp. 165-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 85

Author(s):

C. Garrett-Jones ◽

P. F. L. Boreham ◽

C. P. Pant

Keyword(s):

Human Blood ◽

Large Scale ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Work Load ◽

Malaria Vectors ◽

Human Blood Index ◽

Blood Index ◽

Yield Information ◽

Different Seasons

AbstractA synoptic view is given of the data amassed by WHO, with technical assistance from the Imperial College of Science and Technology, on the origins of blood-meals in Anopheles samples collected from 1971 to 1978. Attention is focused on the proportion of each sample found to contain human blood and on the problems of interpreting from this the human blood index or degree of biting-contact with man exhibited by vector populations. The difficulties of overcoming bias in sampling, which are formidable in unsprayed areas, are further compounded where the dwellings are treated with a slow-acting residual insecticide which knocks down many engorged mosquitoes before they can be collected from their daytime resting places. There is evidence to suggest that the host-selection patterns of those vectors which are ‘opportunistic’ feeders may be heavily influenced, even from village to village or from month to month, by the changing availability of alternative hosts, particularly cattle. This suggests in turn that the possibilities of manipulating the degree of mosquito-man contact by encouraging deflection to animals (zooprophylaxis) or by measures to afford a degree of personal protection should not be under-estimated by malaria strategists. It may sometimes be found less difficult to reduce the vector’s human blood index than it is to measure it, but in view of the epidemiological importance of this parameter, suggestions are put forward for improving entomological field practice in this area. They include a quantitative survey of the biotopes available to the mosquito population as diurnal shelters, a longitudinal survey of the densities of blood-fed females per biotope, and a survey of the numbers and the respective distribution of people and domestic animals available as hosts. The work-load entailed by such a thorough form of investigation, to be repeated where necessary at different seasons of the year, underlines the necessity to concentrate efforts on a small number of localities, carefully chosen for the malaria situations they represent and the vector populations they support. A large-scale blood-meal sampling programme, confined to these selected localities, is most likely in our estimation to yield information of value for controlling malaria vectors.

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Blood Meal Sources and Feeding Behavior of Anophelines Mosquitoes in Bure District, Northwestern Ethiopia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-117757/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tilahun Wassie Adugna ◽

Delensaw - Yewhelew ◽

Emana - Degaga

Keyword(s):

Human Blood ◽

Blood Meal ◽

Host Preference ◽

Light Trap ◽

Malaria Vectors ◽

Adult Survival ◽

Host Feeding ◽

Human Blood Index ◽

Blood Index ◽

Blood Meals

Abstract Background: Mosquito blood meal sources determine their own feeding rates, adult survival, fecundity, hatching rates, and developmental times. The only female Anopheles mosquito takes blood meals from humans, birds, mammals, or other vertebrate animals for egg development. Studies of host preference patterns in blood-feeding anopheline mosquitoes are crucial to incriminating malaria vectors. However, the human blood index, foraging ration, and host preference index of anophelines mosquitoes were not known so far in Bure district Ethiopia.Methods: The origin of blood meals from all freshly fed and a few half-gravid exophagic and endophagic females collected using the center for disease control and prevention light trap catches were identified as human and bovine using Enzyme Linked Immune Sorbent Assay. Human blood index, forage ratio, and host feeding index were calculated.Results: A total of 617 specimens belonging to An. arabiensis (n = 209), An. funestus (n= 217), An. coustani (n= 123), An. squamosus (n= 54) and An. cinereus (n= 14) were only analyzed for blood ELISA. 577 of the overall specimens were positives for blood antigens of the host bloods. All anopheline mosquitoes assayed for blood meal sources had extremity mixed blood meals sources than single blood meals. The FR for a human was slightly > 1.0 than bovine for all Anopheles species. HFI for each pair of vertebrate hosts revealed that humans was a bit preferred blood meal source to bovine for all species (except An. squamosus), but did not exhibit a marked host selection.Conclusions: All assayed anopheline mosquitoes for blood meal ELISA had a mixed feed which tends to diminish the density of gametocytes in the mosquito stomach, thereby reducing the chance of fertilization of the female gamete and reduce the chances of malaria vector becoming infected. Moreover, An. coustani was the only species that had only human blood meal alone mean that this species has a potential to transmit the disease. Therefore, combination zooprophylaxis should be reinforced as a means of vector control because the study sites are mixed dwelling.

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Bloodmeal sources and feeding behavior of anopheline mosquitoes in Bure district, northwestern Ethiopia

Parasites & Vectors ◽

10.1186/s13071-021-04669-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tilahun Adugna ◽

Delensaw Yewhelew ◽

Emana Getu

Keyword(s):

Human Blood ◽

Host Preference ◽

Malaria Vectors ◽

Adult Survival ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Host Feeding ◽

Feeding Rates ◽

Human Blood Index ◽

Blood Index ◽

Anopheline Mosquitoes

Abstract Background Mosquito bloodmeal sources determine the feeding rates, adult survival, fecundity, hatching rates, and developmental times. Only the female Anopheles mosquito takes bloodmeals from humans, birds, mammals, and other vertebrates for egg development. Studies of the host preference patterns in blood-feeding anopheline mosquitoes are crucial to determine malaria vectors. However, the human blood index, foraging ratio, and host preference index of anopheline mosquitoes are not known so far in Bure district, Ethiopia. Methods The origins of bloodmeals from all freshly fed and a few half-gravid exophagic and endophagic females collected using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention light traps were identified as human and bovine using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The human blood index, forage ratio, and host feeding index were calculated. Results A total of 617 specimens belonging to An. arabiensis (n = 209), An. funestus (n = 217), An. coustani (n = 123), An. squamosus (n = 54), and An. cinereus (n = 14) were only analyzed using blood ELISA. Five hundred seventy-five of the specimens were positive for blood antigens of the host bloods. All anopheline mosquitoes assayed for a bloodmeal source had mixed- rather than single-source bloodmeals. The FR for humans was slightly > 1.0 compared to bovines for all Anopheles species. HFI for each pair of vertebrate hosts revealed that humans were the slightly preferred bloodmeal source compared to bovines for all species (except An. squamosus), but there was no marked host selection. Conclusions All anopheline mosquitoes assayed for bloodmeal ELISA had mixed feeds, which tends to diminish the density of gametocytes in the mosquito stomach, thereby reducing the chance of fertilization of the female gamete and reducing the chances of a malaria vector becoming infected. Moreover, An. coustani was the only species that had only human bloodmeals, meaning that this species has the potential to transmit the disease. Therefore, combination zooprophylaxis should be reinforced as a means of vector control because the study sites are mixed dwellings.

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Host choice and human blood index of Anopheles pseudopunctipennis in a village of the Andean valleys of Bolivia

Malaria Journal ◽

10.1186/1475-2875-6-8 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Frédéric Lardeux ◽

Paola Loayza ◽

Bernard Bouchité ◽

Tamara Chavez

Keyword(s):

Human Blood ◽

Host Choice ◽

Human Blood Index ◽

Blood Index

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Entomological Surveillance of Malaria Vectors in Saumlaki, Maluku Tenggara Barat Regency, Maluku Province

Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat ◽

10.15294/kemas.v12i2.5970 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 262-269

Author(s):

Semuel Sandy ◽

Ivon Ayomi ◽

Melda S Suebu ◽

Y Maladan ◽

M Rahardjo Pardi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Health ◽

Human Blood ◽

Community Health Centers ◽

Larval Density ◽

Health Centers ◽

Malaria Vectors ◽

Entomological Surveillance ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Blood Index ◽

Cross Sectional Design

The research aims to determine the prevalence of malaria and Anopheles spp using bio-ecology surveillance in Alusi and Waturu community health centers in Maluku Tenggara Barat Regency. The study was conducted in March-April 2015 with cross sectional design. In this research, we performed mass blood survey on 489 participants in the Kilmasa village and 434 participants in Waturu village. We also performed entomology surveillances, i.e. larval density, catching Anopheles spp, temperature, humidity, and salinity. To confirm malaria vectors, we used enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. The data analyzed descriptively. The results of the study showed proportion 0.20% malaria morbidity in Kilmasa village and 0.23% in Waturu village. Anopheles flavirostris and An. barbirostris group were likely to bite a human outside and inside the house and peaked at 11.00 pm-12.00 pm. The parous rate of An. flavirostris and An. barbirostris was 46% and 26%, respectively. Human blood index of An.flavirostris and An. barbirostris was 33.3% and by 70%, respectively. Anopheles flavirostri and An. barbirostris were malaria vectors with sporozoite rate 0.38% and 12.5%, respectively.

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Behavioural variation of Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) populations in Natal, South Africa

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s000748530005330x ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

pp. 107-110 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Brian L. Sharp ◽

David le Sueur

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Vector Control ◽

Human Blood ◽

Anopheles Arabiensis ◽

Mosquito Vector ◽

Human Blood Index ◽

Blood Index ◽

Close Proximity ◽

Exit Trap ◽

Mosquito Vector Control

AbstractAnopheles arabiensis Patton populations occur in those areas of Natal in which intra-domiciliary DDT is used for mosquito vector control and in the unsprayed areas. Indoor resting collections from the unsprayed area showed a human blood index >90%, in contrast to the indoor collections from the sprayed area where only 31% had fed on man. In exit trap collections from the sprayed area, 66% had fed on man. These trends of a high human blood index in the exit trap collections and a low human blood index in the indoor resting catches were unaffected, despite the close proximity of a cattle kraal to the majority of homesteads.

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