Studies on the Survival, Fecundity and Fertility of Anopheles Arabiensis by Feeding on Longrange™ Eprinomectin Treated Cattle
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2017-04-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Malaria is a serious public health and economic problem in Ethiopia for about 68% of the
population. The misuse of LLINs and resistance of the vectors to most of the insecticides used in
LLINs and IRS necessitated the need for alternative and effective control methods. Reports
showed that Anopheles mosquitoes die when they feed on endectocidal drug- (like ivermectin
and eprinomectin) treated humans and animals. This study was designed to investigate the
efficacy of LongRange™ eprinomectin against laboratory reared Anopheles arabiensis when fed
on treated calves. Three local breed calves treated with a therapeutic dose of LongRange™
Eprinomectin (1ml / 50Kg body weight) and another three non-treated calves (control) were
exposed to equal numbers of An. arabiensis mosquitoes. The mosquitoes were placed in paper
cups, covered with meshed nylon cloth and then allowed to feed on calves’ neck. Subsequently,
their survival, fecundity, egg hatchability, larval development and adult emergence were
recorded. Data were entered and analyzed by using the SPSS version 20. Kaplan-Meier survival
analysis and, independent samples t-test were used. The survivorship of An. arabiensis that fed
on LongRange™ Eprinomectin treated calves up to14 days post treatment was observed to be
reduced significantly (p< 0.001). All of the mosquitoes that fed on the treated calves within 7
days following injection were observed to die. Although not statistically significant, fecundity
and hatchability of An. arabiensis that fed on the treated calves were reduced. Hence, treatment
of livestock with eprinomectin can be used to effectively control zoophagic An. arabiensis for
7days post- injection. Therefore, the drug can be used as part of a combination vector control
tool against An. arabiensis effectively if a repeated MDA is given to cattle in malarious regions
of Ethiopia.
Description
Keywords
Anopheles Arabiensis, Cattle, Longrange Eprinomectin, Malaria Control, Ethiopia