Malaria vectors in two major endemic areas of Colombia

描述（由申请人提供）：在哥伦比亚，疟疾是最重要的健康问题之一。受影响最严重的地区是“乌拉巴、下考卡和上锡努”和太平洋海岸，我们建议将研究重点放在这两个西北地区。这两个区域的一些地方在人口迁移和土地使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的物种组成，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已经证实了几种按蚊的存在，一些在Nyssorhynchus亚属。本亚属的成员已被确认为主要载体或在其他拉丁美洲国家的区域重要性的载体，并有可能成为次要或区域重要的载体在哥伦比亚。由于隐蔽的形态和种内变异，使用形态检索表准确识别某些Nyssorhynchus物种是非常困难的，限制了物种的确认，并防止在地方一级的病媒物种的定罪。 我们的目标是通过解决以下具体目标，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，我们将准确地调查按蚊物种在这两个地区的地方形态特征和分子检测。在目标2中，我们将使用疟原虫特异性PCR-ELISA对确定的蚊子进行流行病学重要性评估。我们推测，在其他地区的主要载体可能已经建立，现在占主导地位，在这些地区。同样，根据丰度和寄生虫感染流行率的模式，与疑似病媒共存的物种实际上可能在传播中更为重要。 本文提出的试点研究的数据将建立一个目前的库存的按蚊物种和疟疾寄生虫感染的流行率在Uraba-Bajo Cauca-Alto Sinu和太平洋沿岸的地方，最受影响的地区重新出现的疟疾在哥伦比亚。在未来的研究中，我们将重点关注已确定的主要媒介物种的群体遗传学，以建立和维持成功的靶向控制计划。具体而言，主要病媒物种的群体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，以及预测和监测杀虫剂抗性基因的传播。

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.