Spread of Drug-Resistant Malaria by Asian Malaria Mosquito in Africa

The study identified two additional biological challenges in the control of malaria: resistance to drugs and resistance to diagnostics by the parasite.

Lancaster University's research unveiled the involvement of the Asian malaria mosquito (Anopheles stephensi) in the dissemination of drug and diagnosis-resistant malaria in Africa ().

Malaria is caused by a parasite which is spread by the bite of blood-sucking mosquitoes. According to the WHO, there were an estimated 247 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2021 with over 600,000 deaths, mostly in Africa. Children under 5 accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in the region.

Rapid Spread of Asian Malaria Mosquito Anopheles stephensi

Following its first detection in Djibouti in 2012, the Asian malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi spread to the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea) and beyond (Yemen, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana) at a speed unknown before for similar species.

Malaria
Malaria is caused by a parasite that enters blood through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is characterized by fever, vomiting, shivering, sweating and other symptoms.

‘The new evidence has the potential to alter the outlook for malaria control and elimination, especially in the context of any future intervention that overlooks the existence of this invasive species. #malaria #mosquitodisease’

People in households/dormitories with An. stephensi positivity had a 270% higher risk of malaria infection than those in households/dormitories where An. stephensi was not detected.

In addition, two other biological threats for the control of malaria were identified: drug resistance and diagnostic resistance of the parasite.

Dr. Luigi Sedda from the Lancaster Ecology and Epidemiology Group at Lancaster University Medical School is a joint first author on the paper which is published in Nature Medicine.

Malaria - Protection Strategies
Malaria is a dangerous disease with lethal consequences that requires protective measures for prevention and control of malaria in endemic regions of the world.

He said: “‘This is a very important finding. The mosquito that has spread in the Horn of Africa from Asia drove a major urban malaria outbreak in Ethiopia. An. stephensi is posing important public health concerns due to the increase in geographical presence, the capacity to persist throughout the year and to resist current insecticides, and to transmit drug and diagnostic resistant parasites.”

The capacity of Anopheles stephensi to use manmade water storage containers which are abundant in rapidly expanding African urban settings, coupled with its unique ecology, behavioral plasticity and resistance to major insecticides, makes it unamenable to conventional mosquito control tools.

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Dr. Sedda concluded: “The epidemiological characteristics of An. stephensi driven malaria can challenge the expectations for the new malaria vaccines to reduce the burden of malaria disease and deaths in Africa, the continent that was already highly hit by malaria and where successes in malaria reduction are currently stalled.”

Reference:

Evidence for a role of Anopheles stephensi in the spread of drug and diagnosis-resistant malaria in Africa - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02641-9)

Source-Eurekalert

Quiz on Malaria
Malaria is a common parasitic disease of the tropics, resulting in a million deaths every year. It is most commonly found in tropical countries. The symptoms of malaria include fever with chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Malaria fatalities can be reduced if they are detected early and treated appropriately