Mosquitoes population dynamics and its implication for control in some selected local government areas of Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Insects are beneficial to man, although, some like houseflies, tsetse fly and mosquitoes are vital players in the transmission of certain diseases. A twelve month longitudinal survey of the population dynamics of mosquitoes in Awka South, Awka North and Njikoka Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Anambra State, Nigeria was conducted to determine the predominant mosquito species composition  and its breeding ecology between August 2021 and September 2022. Pyrethrum spray trap collections, Centre for Disease Control light trap (CDC-LT) collections, human landing catch (HLC) and larval collection method (LCM) were the methods adopted during the study. Chi-square test was used to check for relationships between mosquito’s abundance and other parameters. The total number of mosquitoes collected was 9346 and the highest number was collected in Njikoka LGA 38.2% (3568/9346), followed by Awka South with 34.4% (3215/9346) and Awka North LGAs with 27.4% (2563/9346). The vector density of 23.1% (741/3215) Anopheles spp., 31.1% (1001/3215) Aedes spp., 25.4% (817/3215) Culex spp. and 18.7% (656/3215) Mansonia africana were also recorded. Distribution of mosquito larvae across the three LGAs showed that mosquitoes breeding habitats includes: domestic containers (17.0%), catchment pits (16.4%), broken buckets and tins (14.7%). Recently, resurgence of yellow fever has been reported in some part of Nigeria which Anambra State is part of which suggests that a sustainable public health education campaign on vector management and control should be intensified which will assist in sensitizing the inhabitants on the public importance of mosquito species in Anambra State, Nigeria.