Confirmation of the presence of Anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people’s camps and host communities in Aden city, Yemen
Abstract Background Declines in global malaria cases and deaths since the millennium are currently challenged by multiple factors including funding limitations, limits of, and resistance to vector control tools, and also recent spread of the invasive vector species, Anopheles stephensi—especially in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | Malaria Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04427-9 |
| _version_ | 1797958785092812800 |
|---|---|
| author | Richard Allan David Weetman Hendrik Sauskojus Sophie Budge Tarek Bin Hawail Yasser Baheshm |
| author_facet | Richard Allan David Weetman Hendrik Sauskojus Sophie Budge Tarek Bin Hawail Yasser Baheshm |
| author_sort | Richard Allan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Declines in global malaria cases and deaths since the millennium are currently challenged by multiple factors including funding limitations, limits of, and resistance to vector control tools, and also recent spread of the invasive vector species, Anopheles stephensi—especially into novel urban settings where malaria rates are typically low. Coupled with general increases in urbanization and escalations in the number of conflicts creating rapid and unplanned population displacement into temporary shelter camps within host urban areas, particularly in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, increased urban malaria is a major threat to control and elimination. Methods Entomological monitoring surveys (targeting Aedes aegypti) of water containers across urban areas hosting internally displaced people (IDP) communities in Aden city, Yemen, were performed by The MENTOR Initiative, a non-governmental organisation. As part of these surveys in 2021 23 larvae collected and raised to adults were morphologically identified as An. stephensi. Twelve of the samples were sent to Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine for independent morphological assessment and genetic analysis by sequencing the ribosomal ITS2 region and the mitochondrial COI gene. Results All twelve samples were confirmed morphologically and by sequence comparison of the single ITS2 and COI haplotype detected to the NCBI BLAST database as An. stephensi. Phylogenetic analysis with comparable COI sequences indicated close relationship to haplotypes found in Djibouti and Ethiopia. Conclusion The study results confirm the presence of An. stephensi in Yemen. Confirmation of the species in multiple urban communities hosting thousands of IDPs living in temporary shelters with widescale dependency on open water containers is of particular concern due to the vulnerability of the population and abundance of favourable breeding sites for the vector. Proactive monitoring and targeted integrated vector management are required to limit impacts in this area of typically low malaria transmission, and to prevent further the spread of An. stephensi within the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:23:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-11902841a3bc4d6a93f0078604c086f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-2875 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:23:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Malaria Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-11902841a3bc4d6a93f0078604c086f52023-01-08T12:05:27ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752023-01-012211810.1186/s12936-022-04427-9Confirmation of the presence of Anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people’s camps and host communities in Aden city, YemenRichard Allan0David Weetman1Hendrik Sauskojus2Sophie Budge3Tarek Bin Hawail4Yasser Baheshm5The MENTOR InitiativeLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineThe MENTOR InitiativeThe MENTOR InitiativeThe MENTOR InitiativeMinistry of Health in Yemen, National Malaria Control ProgrammeAbstract Background Declines in global malaria cases and deaths since the millennium are currently challenged by multiple factors including funding limitations, limits of, and resistance to vector control tools, and also recent spread of the invasive vector species, Anopheles stephensi—especially into novel urban settings where malaria rates are typically low. Coupled with general increases in urbanization and escalations in the number of conflicts creating rapid and unplanned population displacement into temporary shelter camps within host urban areas, particularly in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, increased urban malaria is a major threat to control and elimination. Methods Entomological monitoring surveys (targeting Aedes aegypti) of water containers across urban areas hosting internally displaced people (IDP) communities in Aden city, Yemen, were performed by The MENTOR Initiative, a non-governmental organisation. As part of these surveys in 2021 23 larvae collected and raised to adults were morphologically identified as An. stephensi. Twelve of the samples were sent to Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine for independent morphological assessment and genetic analysis by sequencing the ribosomal ITS2 region and the mitochondrial COI gene. Results All twelve samples were confirmed morphologically and by sequence comparison of the single ITS2 and COI haplotype detected to the NCBI BLAST database as An. stephensi. Phylogenetic analysis with comparable COI sequences indicated close relationship to haplotypes found in Djibouti and Ethiopia. Conclusion The study results confirm the presence of An. stephensi in Yemen. Confirmation of the species in multiple urban communities hosting thousands of IDPs living in temporary shelters with widescale dependency on open water containers is of particular concern due to the vulnerability of the population and abundance of favourable breeding sites for the vector. Proactive monitoring and targeted integrated vector management are required to limit impacts in this area of typically low malaria transmission, and to prevent further the spread of An. stephensi within the region.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04427-9Anopheles stephensiConflictInternally displaced peopleMalariaTemporary shelterUrban vector |
| spellingShingle | Richard Allan David Weetman Hendrik Sauskojus Sophie Budge Tarek Bin Hawail Yasser Baheshm Confirmation of the presence of Anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people’s camps and host communities in Aden city, Yemen Malaria Journal Anopheles stephensi Conflict Internally displaced people Malaria Temporary shelter Urban vector |
| title | Confirmation of the presence of Anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people’s camps and host communities in Aden city, Yemen |
| title_full | Confirmation of the presence of Anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people’s camps and host communities in Aden city, Yemen |
| title_fullStr | Confirmation of the presence of Anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people’s camps and host communities in Aden city, Yemen |
| title_full_unstemmed | Confirmation of the presence of Anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people’s camps and host communities in Aden city, Yemen |
| title_short | Confirmation of the presence of Anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people’s camps and host communities in Aden city, Yemen |
| title_sort | confirmation of the presence of anopheles stephensi among internally displaced people s camps and host communities in aden city yemen |
| topic | Anopheles stephensi Conflict Internally displaced people Malaria Temporary shelter Urban vector |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04427-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardallan confirmationofthepresenceofanophelesstephensiamonginternallydisplacedpeoplescampsandhostcommunitiesinadencityyemen AT davidweetman confirmationofthepresenceofanophelesstephensiamonginternallydisplacedpeoplescampsandhostcommunitiesinadencityyemen AT hendriksauskojus confirmationofthepresenceofanophelesstephensiamonginternallydisplacedpeoplescampsandhostcommunitiesinadencityyemen AT sophiebudge confirmationofthepresenceofanophelesstephensiamonginternallydisplacedpeoplescampsandhostcommunitiesinadencityyemen AT tarekbinhawail confirmationofthepresenceofanophelesstephensiamonginternallydisplacedpeoplescampsandhostcommunitiesinadencityyemen AT yasserbaheshm confirmationofthepresenceofanophelesstephensiamonginternallydisplacedpeoplescampsandhostcommunitiesinadencityyemen |