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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
immunology and microbiology
Aestivation of the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae in the Sahel
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 83, No. 3, Year 2010
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Description
The African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, inhabits diverse environments including dry savannas, where surface waters required for larval development are absent for 4-8 months per year. Under such conditions, An. gambiae virtually disappears. Whether populations survive the long dry season by aestivation (a dormant state promoting extended longevity during the summer) or are reestablished by migrants from distant locations where larval sites persist has remained an enigma for over 60 years. Resolving this question is important, because fragile dry season populations may be more susceptible to control. Here, we show unequivocally that An. gambiae aestivates based on a demographic study and a mark release-recapture experiment spanning the period from the end of one wet season to the beginning of the next. During the dry season, An. gambiae was barely detectable in Sahelian villages of Mali. Five days after the first rain, before a new generation of adults could be produced, mosquito abundance surged 10-fold, implying that most mosquitoes were concealed locally until the rain. Four days after the first rain, a marked female An. gambiae s.s. was recaptured. Initially captured, marked, and released at the end of the previous wet season, she has survived the 7-month-long dry season. These results provide evidence that An. gambiae persists throughout the dry season by aestivation and open new questions for mosquito and parasite research. Improved malaria control by targeting aestivating mosquitoes using existing or novel strategies may be possible. Copyright © 2010 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Authors & Co-Authors
Lehmann, Tovi V.
United States, Bethesda
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Niaid
Dao, Adama
Mali, Bamako
University of Bamako
Yaro, Alpha Seydou
Mali, Bamako
University of Bamako
Adamou, Abdoulaye
Mali, Bamako
University of Bamako
Kassogué, Yaya
Mali, Bamako
University of Bamako
Diallo, Moussa
Mali, Bamako
University of Bamako
Traoré, Sékou Fantamady
Mali, Bamako
University of Bamako
Coscaron-Arias, Cecilia
United States, Bethesda
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Niaid
Statistics
Citations: 129
Authors: 8
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0779
ISSN:
00029637
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Study Approach
Quantitative
Study Locations
Mali
Participants Gender
Female