Population dynamics of mosquitoes and malaria vector incrimination in district Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pakistan

Abstract This study aimed to obtain updated information on mosquito diversity and malaria vector incrimination in Charsadda Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to help in devising effective control and preventive measures in the area. Monthly survey of indoor mosquitoes for one year was carried out in three villages, Dhaki Totaqi and Mathra. Female Anopheline were used to detect Circumsporozoites protein (CSP) using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Among 17 mosquito species, Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles splendidus, Anopheles stephensi, Anopheles fluviatilus, Anopheles culicifacies and Culex tritaeniorhynchus were predominant. Dhaki village had the highest mosquito species diversity (1.015) and similar species richness (0.7) and evenness (0.5) with village Mathra. Slide positivity rate (SPR) shows that the rate of malaria transmission increases with mosquito population. Four anopheline species i.e. A. stephensi, A. fluviatilis, A. splendidus , and A. culicifacies were CSP positiv e. The CSP rate was 0.8%, where two specimens of A. splendidus and one of A. fluviatilus were positive for Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax was represented by two variants 210 and 247. Among the 20 CSP positive specimens, variant 210 was found in 12 (one belonging to A. culicifacies , two each of A. stephensi and A. fluviatilus , seven specimens of A. splendidus ) and 247 in 8 specimens (two of A. stephensi , three each of A. fluviatilus and A. splendidus ). The number of infected mosquitoes collected from animal sheds was higher (15) though non-significant ( P  > 0.05) than that from bedrooms (8).