Malaria vectors in two major endemic areas of Colombia

描述(申请人提供)：在哥伦比亚，疟疾是最重要的健康问题之一。受影响最大的地区是乌拉巴、巴霍·考卡和阿尔托·西努以及太平洋沿岸，我们建议将研究重点放在这两个西北部地区。这两个地区的一些地方在人口迁移和土地利用方面发生了重大变化。我们的研究将检验这一假设，即区域变化可能改变了蚊子物种组成，从而导致在该地区观察到的寄生虫传播增加。 我们在哥伦比亚西北部的初步研究证实，存在几种按蚊，其中一些属于Nyssorhynchus亚属。这一亚属的成员在其他拉丁美洲国家被确认为主要媒介或具有区域重要性的媒介，并有可能成为哥伦比亚的次要或区域重要媒介。由于形态的隐蔽性和种内变异，利用形态检索表准确鉴定一些Nyssorhynchus物种是非常困难的，这限制了物种的确认，并在地方水平上防止了媒介物种的相互牵连。 我们的目标是通过实现以下具体目标，在哥伦比亚受疟疾复发影响最严重的两个地区提供最新的昆虫学信息。在目标1中，我们将利用形态特征和分子分析对这两个地区的按蚊物种进行准确的清查。在目标2中，我们将使用确定识别的蚊子的疟原虫特异的PCR-ELISA法来评估这些物种的流行病学重要性。我们假设，在其他地区被牵连的主要媒介可能已经确立，并现在在这些地区占主导地位。同样，根据种群繁殖度和寄生虫感染流行的模式，与可疑媒介共存的物种实际上可能在传播中更重要。 本文提出的试点研究的数据将建立目前在乌拉巴-巴霍-考卡-阿尔托西努和太平洋沿岸地区的按蚊物种和疟疾寄生虫感染流行情况的清单，这两个地区受哥伦比亚重新出现的疟疾影响最大。在未来的研究中，我们将重点研究已确定的初级媒介物种的种群遗传学，以建立和维持成功的靶向控制计划。具体地说，初级媒介物种的种群遗传学研究可用于开发疟疾传播的预测模型，预测和评估控制措施的成功，以及预测和监测抗药性基因的传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In Colombia, malaria is one of the most important health problems. The regions most affected are the "Uraba, Bajo Cauca and Alto Sinu" and the Pacific Coast and we propose to focus our studies in these two northwestern areas. Some localities in these two regions have experienced significant changes in human migration and land use. Our studies will test the hypothesis that regional changes may have altered mosquito species composition, which has subsequently resulted in the increased parasite transmission observed in this region. Our preliminary studies in northwestern Colombia have confirmed the presence of several Anopheles species, some in the Nyssorhynchus subgenus. Members of this subgenus have been recognized as primary vectors or vectors of regional importance in other Latin American countries and have the potential to be secondary or regionally important vectors in Colombia. Accurate identification of some Nyssorhynchus species using morphological keys is very difficult due to cryptic morphology and intraspecies variation, limiting confirmation of species and preventing incrimination of vector species at the local level. Our goal is to provide updated entomological information in two areas of Colombia most critically affected by re-emerging malaria by addressing the following Specific Aims. In Aim 1, we will accurately inventory Anopheles species in localities from these two areas using morphological characters and molecular assays. In Aim 2, we will assess the epidemiological importance of these species using Plasmodium-specific PCR-ELISA of definitively identified mosquitoes. We hypothesize that primary vectors incriminated in other regions may have become established and now predominate in these regions. Similarly, species that co-occur with suspected vectors may in fact be more important in transmission based on patterns of abundance and parasite infection prevalence. Data from the pilot studies proposed herein will establish a current inventory of Anopheles species and malaria parasite infection prevalences in localities in Uraba-Bajo Cauca-Alto Sinu and the Pacific Coast, regions that are most affected by re-emerging malaria in Colombia. In future studies, we will focus on the population genetics of the identified primary vector species for the establishment and maintenance of successful targeted control programs. Specifically, studies of population genetics of primary vector species can be used to develop predictive models of malaria transmission, to predict and assess the success of control measures, and to predict and monitor the spread of insecticide resistance genes.