Molecular Characterisation of Anopheles gambiae Complex and Its Preferred Blood-meal Hosts in the Southern Part of Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria

Abstract

Baseline data on the distribution and genetic variability of malaria vector species are key to effective malaria control in endemic areas.  This study characterised Anopheles gambiae s.l. and their preferred blood-meal hosts in the Southern Part of Gombe State using  polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) probing, respectively. The overall results from the
226 An gambiae s.l populations revealed the predominance of An. coluzzii 68 (51.13%) followed by An. gambiae s. s. 61 (45.86%), while the  least was An. 2 arabiensis 4 (3.11%). The analysis of the population varied significantly ( = 41.794, df = 2, P < 0.05). An. coluzzii 32  (54.24%) was also the most abundant species in Billiri, followed by An. gambiae s. s. 25 (42.37%), while An. arabiensis 2 4 (3.11%) was the  least abundant. The species abundance varied significantly ( = 42.461, df = 2, P < 0.05). However, in Kaltungo, An. gambiae s. s. and An.  coluzzii had the same species evenness 36 (48.65%). The preferred blood meal of the fed mosquitoes was human blood 86 (38.91%),  followed by bovine blood 41 (18.14%), whereas the least preferred 33 (14.60%) was goat blood. The An. gambiae s. s. predominantly fed  on humans 24 (39.34%) followed by bovine blood (8 (13.11%) and then goat blood 7 (11.48%), similarly, An. coluzzii 24 (35.29%) preferred  human blood followed by bovine 16 (23.53%) blood while An. arabiensis demonstrated a similar preference for both human and bovine blood 1 (25.00%). This study clearly showed the presence of three Anopheles species siblings in Gombe South, with the most dominant  being An. coluzzi followed by An. gambiae s.s., whereas An. arabiensis was the least. Therefore, there is a need to intensify the use of  insecticide-treated nets by inhabitants of the two communities to reduce man-vector contact.