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Asian Journal of Biological Sciences

Year: 2019 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 4 | Page No.: 851-859
DOI: 10.17311/ajbs.2019.851.859
Prevalence of Mosquitoes Harbouring Microfilariae in Four Communities in Andoni, Rivers State, Nigeria
C.H. Dimkpa, N. Ebere and A.P. Ugbomeh

Abstract: Background and Objective: Filarial worms spread from person to person by a range of mosquito are the cause of filariasis. Epidemiological and entomological surveys of the prevalence of these filarial worms and their vectors are necessary as they constituent public health problems. The study was therefore; designed to survey mosquitoes harbouring microfilariae in four communities of Andoni in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 320 houses (mud, screened block, zinc roofed and thatch house) were sampled to obtain the indoor resting density of the four communities (Ibotirem, Ataba, Samanga and Dema) for 4 months (May-August). From each house, one bedroom was selected for pyrethrum spray catch (PSC) using standard procedures. Mosquitoes were identified, dissected and examined for microfilariae. Questionnaire were distributed randomly to 200 people with questions relating to Knowledge, Attitude and Perception (KAP) and data presented in percentage. Map of the area was generated by GIS. Indoor resting densities and vector infection rate were calculated following standard methods and tested for significance using ANOVA at p = 0.05. Results: About 24.1% of the blood fed mosquitoes were infected with Wuchereria bancrofti. Three species of mosquitoes Culexquin quefasciatus, A. gambiae and Aedes where found in the area. Vector infection rate for C. quinquefasciatus was 51.1%, A. gambiae 43.0% and Aedes 1.0%. The highest vector infection prevalence was recorded in Dema and the least in Ataba. The C. quinquefasciatus and A. gambiae contributed a higher vector infection rate when compared to Aedes. The KAP survey revealed that majority of respondents were not aware of microfilariae as the cause of lymphatic filariasis infection, 59% were not aware of preventive measures and about 48% had witnessed patients suffering from the disease in the area. Conclusion: The findings of this study (the first documented report) will help in achieving a better understanding of the epidemiology of infective microfilariae in the study area.

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How to cite this article
C.H. Dimkpa, N. Ebere and A.P. Ugbomeh, 2019. Prevalence of Mosquitoes Harbouring Microfilariae in Four Communities in Andoni, Rivers State, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, 12: 851-859.

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