title: [Anopheles mascarensis of Meillon 1947, a malaria vector in the middle west of Madagascar?].
abstract: Anopheles mascarensis has been demonstrated to be a vector of human malaria in the East coast of Madagascar. Here, we present original data obtained from 1996 to 2003 on the distribution, biology and vectorial capacity of An. mascarensis in the Middle-West of Madagascar. This species is consistently exophilic both for its trophic and resting behaviour. This accounts for the absence of clear impact of any indoor insecticide spraying. This species is mainly zoophilic, but can occasionally bite humans, which explains a low sporozoitic index (1/2218 = 0.045%). The densities of human landing mosquitoes are most of the time very low, with the exception of a peak between May and August at the beginning of the dry season. It implies that the vector's efficiency is very low but not insignificant in the Middle-West of Madagascar, a situation opposite to what is observed on the East coast. The vectorial efficiency of An. mascarensis and An. arabiensis would enable to maintain a low malarial endemicity in the Middle-West, even in the complete absence of An. funestus.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Entomologie Médicale, Groupe de Recherche sur le Paludisme, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP 1274, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Le Goff
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Randimby
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rajaonarivelo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laganier
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Duchemin
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Léong Pock Tsy
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ceianu
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Duchemin
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Robert
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D002980:Climate; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D008136:Longevity; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008270:Madagascar / Q000453:epidemiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D009032:Mosquito Control; D011156:Population Density; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012621:Seasons