title: Biting indices, host-seeking activity and natural infection rates of anopheline species in Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil from 1996 to 1998.
abstract: The epidemiology of the transmission of malaria parasites varies ecologically. To observe some entomological aspects of the malaria transmission in an urban environment, a longitudinal survey of anopheline fauna was performed in Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil. A total of 7,263 anophelines was collected in human bait at 13 de Setembro and Caranã districts: Anopheles albitarsis sensu lato (82.8%), An. darlingi (10.3%), An. braziliensis (5.5%), An. peryassui (0.9%) and An. nuneztovari (0.5%). Nightly 12 h collections showed that An. albitarsis was actively biting throughout the night with peak activities at sunset and at midnight. An. darlingi bit during all night and did not demonstrate a defined biting peak. Highest biting indices, entomological inoculation rates and malaria cases were observed seasonally during the rainy season (April-November). Hourly collections showed host seek activity for all mosquitoes peaked during the first hour after sunset. An. darlingi showed the highest plasmodial malaria infection rate followed by An. albitarsis, An. braziliensis and An. nuneztovari (8.5%, 4.6%, 3% and 2.6%, respectively). An. albitarsis was the most frequently collected anopheline, presented the highest biting index and it was the second most frequently collected infected species infected with malaria parasites. An. albitarsis and An. darlingi respectively, are the primary vectors of malaria throughout Boa Vista.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo Avançado de Vetores, Dentro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Roraima, Boa Vista, RR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Adenildo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: da Silva-Vasconcelos
authors.forename: Márcio Yukió Neves
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kató
authors.forename: Eliana Neves
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.forename: Raimundo Tadeu Lessa
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Raimundo Nonato da Luz
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Lacerda
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sibajev
authors.forename: Pantelis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsouris
authors.forename: Marinete Marins
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Póvoa
authors.forename: Hooman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Momen
authors.forename: Maria Goreti
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rosa-Freitas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012621:Seasons; D014505:Urban Population