Transmission

人类疟疾仅由按蚊传播。在南部非洲，这些病媒物种中最重要的是安。arabiensis,。冈比亚和安哥拉。funestus，和An。阿拉伯种分布范围更广，生态和生物可塑性更强。这些病媒的相对分布和丰度在生态和地理上各不相同。本方案的研究点不仅反映了疟疾传播生物学和传播强度的差异，也反映了影响这些媒介差异的生态差异。传播生物学在很大程度上受蚊子行为及其对蚊基控制措施（如经杀虫剂处理的蚊帐）的反应的影响。蚊帐在南非各地广泛分布，是一项巨大的投资。ITNs不仅为蚊子提供了物理屏障，而且众所周知，ITNs排斥昆虫，鼓励蚊子以其他宿主为食。然而，在南部非洲的一些地区，尽管分发和使用了蚊帐，蚊子仍然几乎只以人类宿主为目标。来自西非的最新数据表明，在一些地区，通常由使用ITN引起的驱避作用失效了，而且没有阻止具有抗药性的蚊子吸食人血。因此，了解生物学、觅食行为、杀虫剂抗性水平以及种群遗传和分布对于指导非洲南部地区有效和适当的疟疾干预措施的选择和实施是不可或缺的。目的1)分析3个研究点疟疾病媒的生物学和昆虫学接种率（EIR）。

Human malaria is exclusively vectored by anopheline mosquitoes. In southern Africa the most important of these vector species are An. arabiensis, An. gambiae, and An. funestus, with An. arabiensis having a wider range and considerably greater ecological and biological plasticity. The relative distribution and abundance of these vectors vary ecologically and geographically. The study sites targeted in this proposal not only reflect differences in malaria transmission biology and intensity, but also ecological differences that affect these vector differences. Transmission biology is largely affected by mosquito behavior and their response to mosquito-based control measures such as insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs). ITNs are widely distributed throughout south Africa and represent an enormous investment. ITNs not only provide a physical barrier to mosquitoes, but it is also well known that ITNs repel insects, encouraging mosquitoes to feed on alternative hosts. In some areas of southern Africa, however, mosquitoes have continued to almost exclusively target human hosts, despite the distribution and use of ITNs. Recent data from West Africa have shown that in some areas the repellency, typically induced by ITN use, fails and resistant mosquitoes are not deterred from taking human blood meals. Therefore, understanding the bionomics, foraging behavior, levels of insecticide resistance and population genetics and distribution are integral for guiding selection and implementation of effective and appropriate malaria interventions within the southern African region. Aim 1) Characterize the bionomics and entomological inoculation rates (EIR) of malaria vectors in each of the three study sites. Characterize the community structure of malaria vector populations in southern Africa and further characterize the feeding and resting behavior of Anopheles arabiensis in southern Africa. Aim 2) Survey insecticide susceptibility of vector populations at all three field sites and to determine the mechanisms of insecticide resistance. Aim 3) Conduct population genetic analysis of Anopheles arabiensis populations using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers.