The importance of morphological identification of African anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for malaria control programmes
Abstract Background The correct identification of disease vectors is the first step towards implementing an effective control programme. Traditionally, for malaria control, this was based on the morphological differences observed in the adults and larvae between different mosquito species. However,...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:2bfab6c3a48c43438962d6241631ec47 2023-05-15T15:10:50+02:00 The importance of morphological identification of African anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for malaria control programmes Erica Erlank Lizette L. Koekemoer Maureen Coetzee 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-018-2189-5 https://doaj.org/article/2bfab6c3a48c43438962d6241631ec47 EN eng BMC http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12936-018-2189-5 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/s12936-018-2189-5 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/2bfab6c3a48c43438962d6241631ec47 Malaria Journal, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2018) Anopheles Africa Identification Morphology PCR Molecular Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-018-2189-5 2022-12-31T09:19:19Z Abstract Background The correct identification of disease vectors is the first step towards implementing an effective control programme. Traditionally, for malaria control, this was based on the morphological differences observed in the adults and larvae between different mosquito species. However, the discovery of species complexes meant that genetic tools were needed to separate the sibling species and today there are standard molecular techniques that are used to identify the two major malaria vector groups of mosquitoes. On the assumption that species-diagnostic DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are highly species-specific, experiments were conducted to investigate what would happen if non-vector species were randomly included in the molecular assays. Methods Morphological keys for the Afrotropical Anophelinae were used to provide the a priori identifications. All mosquito specimens were then subjected to the standard PCR assays for members of the Anopheles gambiae complex and Anopheles funestus group. Results One hundred and fifty mosquitoes belonging to 11 morphological species were processed. Three species (Anopheles pretoriensis, Anopheles rufipes and Anopheles rhodesiensis) amplified members of the An. funestus group and four species (An. pretoriensis, An. rufipes, Anopheles listeri and Anopheles squamosus) amplified members of the An. gambiae complex. Conclusions Morphological identification of mosquitoes prior to PCR assays not only saves time and money in the laboratory, but also ensures that data received by malaria vector control programmes are useful for targeting the major vectors. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Malaria Journal 17 1 |
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English |
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Anopheles Africa Identification Morphology PCR Molecular Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
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Anopheles Africa Identification Morphology PCR Molecular Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Erica Erlank Lizette L. Koekemoer Maureen Coetzee The importance of morphological identification of African anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for malaria control programmes |
topic_facet |
Anopheles Africa Identification Morphology PCR Molecular Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
description |
Abstract Background The correct identification of disease vectors is the first step towards implementing an effective control programme. Traditionally, for malaria control, this was based on the morphological differences observed in the adults and larvae between different mosquito species. However, the discovery of species complexes meant that genetic tools were needed to separate the sibling species and today there are standard molecular techniques that are used to identify the two major malaria vector groups of mosquitoes. On the assumption that species-diagnostic DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are highly species-specific, experiments were conducted to investigate what would happen if non-vector species were randomly included in the molecular assays. Methods Morphological keys for the Afrotropical Anophelinae were used to provide the a priori identifications. All mosquito specimens were then subjected to the standard PCR assays for members of the Anopheles gambiae complex and Anopheles funestus group. Results One hundred and fifty mosquitoes belonging to 11 morphological species were processed. Three species (Anopheles pretoriensis, Anopheles rufipes and Anopheles rhodesiensis) amplified members of the An. funestus group and four species (An. pretoriensis, An. rufipes, Anopheles listeri and Anopheles squamosus) amplified members of the An. gambiae complex. Conclusions Morphological identification of mosquitoes prior to PCR assays not only saves time and money in the laboratory, but also ensures that data received by malaria vector control programmes are useful for targeting the major vectors. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Erica Erlank Lizette L. Koekemoer Maureen Coetzee |
author_facet |
Erica Erlank Lizette L. Koekemoer Maureen Coetzee |
author_sort |
Erica Erlank |
title |
The importance of morphological identification of African anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for malaria control programmes |
title_short |
The importance of morphological identification of African anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for malaria control programmes |
title_full |
The importance of morphological identification of African anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for malaria control programmes |
title_fullStr |
The importance of morphological identification of African anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for malaria control programmes |
title_full_unstemmed |
The importance of morphological identification of African anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for malaria control programmes |
title_sort |
importance of morphological identification of african anopheline mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) for malaria control programmes |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-018-2189-5 https://doaj.org/article/2bfab6c3a48c43438962d6241631ec47 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Malaria Journal, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2018) |
op_relation |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12936-018-2189-5 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/s12936-018-2189-5 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/2bfab6c3a48c43438962d6241631ec47 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-018-2189-5 |
container_title |
Malaria Journal |
container_volume |
17 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1766341784966791168 |