Feeding Behavior and Plasmodium Detection in Anopheles stephensi, a Ma-laria Vector in District Khyber, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Mahnoor  Arif; Syed Basit  Rasheed; Habib Ullah; Tawaf  Ali Shah; Faiz Ur  Rehman; Turki M.  Dawoud

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v19i3.16393

Mahnoor Arif Institute of Zoological Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
Syed Basit Rasheed Institute of Zoological Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
Habib Ullah Institute of Zoological Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
Tawaf Ali Shah College of Agriculture Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, China
Faiz Ur Rehman Department of Zoology, Government Superior Science College Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Turki M. Dawoud Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v19i3.16393

Keywords: Anopheles stephensi; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium falciparum; Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Anopheles stephensi is a significant malaria vector in Pakistan, and understanding its feeding behavior is necessary to control the spread of malaria. However, limited information is available on the host preferences of A. stephensi in Pakistan. Therefore, we aimed to explore the feeding behavior of A. stephensi, a malaria vector, in the District Khyber, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Methods: A total of 7462 mosquitoes were collected between March and September 2021, with 1674 (22.4%) identified as A. stephensi (952 female and 722 male). Among the female A. stephensi, 495 (52%) were blood-fed. DNA was extracted from the blood-fed female A. stephensi mosquitoes using the Ammonium Acetate Precipitation Method followed by PCR analysis, blood meal sources were identified. Nested PCR on 191 pooled samples was used to detect Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.

Results: Cattle blood meals were predominant (73%), followed by human (20%) and chicken (7%), with no dog blood meals detected. All individual mosquito samples were negative for Plasmodium falciparum, while two pooled samples (out of 191) tested positive for P. vivax.

Conclusion: A. stephensi in Khyber District primarily displayed anthropophagic feeding behavior, with a small portion of the population infected with P. vivax. The results underscore the importance of targeted vector control strategies, environmental management, community engagement and continuous monitoring to suppress malaria transmission.