Volume 25, Number 7—July 2019
Research Letter
Increased Threat of Urban Malaria from Anopheles stephensi Mosquitoes, Africa
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Willlem Takken
and Steve Lindsay
and Steve LindsayAbstract
Malaria continues to be a major health threat in Africa, mainly in rural areas. Recently, the urban malaria vector Anopheles stephensi invaded Djibouti and Ethiopia, potentially spreading to other areas of Africa. Urgent action is needed to prevent urban malaria epidemics from emerging and causing a public health disaster.
The pernicious life-threatening disease malaria continues to place a heavy burden on communities in Africa, where >92% of malaria cases occur today (1). Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles transmit malaria parasites to humans. Africa has >128 indigenous Anopheles species (2), several of which, An. gambiae sensu stricto, An. coluzzii, and An. funestus sensu stricto, are among the world’s most efficient malaria vectors. These species are found predominantly in rural areas, where they thrive in a variety of natural and manmade aquatic sites. Because mosquito densities fluctuate with rainfall, malaria is prevalent in rural areas in Africa with strong seasonal variations (3).
Malaria also occurs in urban centers in Africa, but at much lower levels, mostly in the peripheries, where small-scale commercial gardens collect surface water (4). Malaria is not the only mosquito-borne disease threat in urban Africa. The Ae. aegypti mosquito is a vector for dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses in urban settings.
Many countries in Africa are experiencing rapid urban development because people from the countryside, attracted by opportunities for work and education, are moving into urban centers. According to the United Nations, cities like Nairobi, Kenya; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire; and Dakar, Senegal, have doubled in population during the last decade and are predicted to expand further (https://population.un.org/wup).
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