[Investigation on blood-sucking habit of Anopheles (Diptera:Culicidae) using multiplex polymerase chain reaction in malaria-endemic area of Chayu County, Tibet].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the blood-sucking habit of anopheline by mosquitoes bloodmeal identification in malaria endemic area Chayu County, Tibet Autonomous Region.


METHODS
Three villages with different bio-environments were selected as the investigation spots. Light traps were set up outdoor and in livestock sheds from sunset (20:00) to sunrise (8:00) in 3-4 consecutive nights to collect mosquitoes. The trapped anophelines were counted and identified according to morphological criteria and multiple PCR method. A PCR-based methodology according to the mtDNA-cytb variations was used in different mammal hosts to identify bloodmeal sources in engorged mosquitoes. The human blood index (HBI) was assessed to determine the range of hosts.


RESULTS
Among 1 442 anopheline mosquitoes collected by 108 light traps on 13 nights. 1436 (99.6%) belonged to Anopheles maculatus complex, with 85.5% An. pseudo-willmori and 14.5% An. willmori. Positive bloodmeal identification was found from 168 (83%) of 202 field-collected engorged mosquitoes. The crude HBI of An. pseudowillmori and An. willmori were 035 and 0.29, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
An. pseudowillmori and An willmori are both zoophilic and anthropophilic, and An. pseudowillmori shows a higher HBI.
National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai 200025, China.
Shao-Hua
SH
Guo
Shui-Sen
SS
Zhou
Fang
F
Huang
Xiang
X
Zheng
Song
S
Wu
Hua-Yun
HY
Zhou
Yang-Jin
YJ
Zhuoma
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018609:Tibet / Q000453:epidemiology