Bioecological characteristics of malaria vectors in different geographical areas of Bandar- Abbas county, 2014

Anopheles mosquitoes are the only malaria biological vectors. Malaria is one the most important mosquito-borne disease in south and southeast of Iran, especially in Hormozgan Province. Bandar -Abbas County is one of the important malaria endemic areas in south of Iran. Considering the importance of anopheline mosquitoes in malaria transmission and vectors control strategy for prevention and control of disease, this study was conducted to determine some of the bioecological characteristics of malaria vectors in different geographical areas of Bandar- Abbas county.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014. The anopheline larvae were collected using the standard dipping method. Adult mosquitoes were collected using Total catch and Hand catch and their species composition and monthly abundance were determined. The Larvae and adult mosquitoes were identified using a morphology based-key.
In this study, in total 588 larvae and 1742 adult anopheline mosquitoes were collected and identified. They comprised of nine species: Anopheles stephensi, An. dthali, An. superpictus, An. fluviatilis, An.culicifacies, An. sergenti, An. turkhudi, An. moghulensis and Anopheles apoci.
Anopheles culicifacies and An. dthali were predominant species in mountainous and plain areas, respectively. The peak seasonal activity of malaria vectors in mountainous and plain areas were in July and October, respectively.
This study showed a high anopheline species abundance in Bandar-Abbas county. knowledge of biological characteristics and abundance of malaria vectors in malarious areas such as Bandar-Abbas is essential for control and prevention of disease during epidemic situations.