Current vector control challenges in the fight against malaria

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.06.028

Acta Tropica

Volume 174, October 2017, Pages 91-96

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.06.028 Get rights and content

Highlights

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The effective control of Anopheles vectors plays a key role in any malaria management program.
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Most National Malaria Control Programs in Africa still rely to IRS and LLINs.
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IRS and LLINs reduce malaria incidence but have little impact on malaria prevalence.
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Outdoor transmission and insecticide resistance threaten the efficacy of LLINs and IRS.
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This review discussed challenges and trends in malaria vector control research.

Abstract

The effective and eco-friendly control of Anopheles vectors plays a key role in any malaria management program. Integrated Vector Management (IVM) suggests making use of the full range of vector control tools available. The strategies for IVM require novel technologies to control outdoor transmission of malaria. Despite the wide number of promising control tools tested against mosquitoes, current strategies for malaria vector control used in most African countries are not sufficient to achieve successful malaria control. The majority of National Malaria Control Programs in Africa still rely on indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). These methods reduce malaria incidence but generally have little impact on malaria prevalence. In addition to outdoor transmission, growing levels of insecticide resistance in targeted vectors threaten the efficacy of LLINs and IRS. Larvicidal treatments can be useful, but are not recommended for rural areas. The research needed to improve the quality and delivery of mosquito vector control should focus on (i) optimization of processes and methods for vector control delivery; (ii) monitoring of vector populations and biting activity with reliable techniques; (iii) the development of effective and eco-friendly tools to reduce the burden or locally eliminate malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases; (iv) the careful evaluation of field suitability and efficacy of new mosquito control tools to prove their epidemiological impact; (v) the continuous monitoring of environmental changes which potentially affect malaria vector populations; (vi) the cooperation among different disciplines, with main emphasis on parasitology, tropical medicine, ecology, entomology, and ecotoxicology. A better understanding of behavioral ecology of malaria vectors is required. Key ecological obstacles that limit the effectiveness of vector control include the variation in mosquito behavior, development of insecticide resistance, presence of behavioral avoidance, high vector biodiversity, competitive and food web interactions, lack of insights on mosquito dispersal and mating behavior, and the impact of environmental changes on mosquito ecological traits. Overall, the trans-disciplinary cooperation among parasitologists and entomologists is crucial to ensure proper evaluation of the epidemiological impact triggered by novel mosquito vector control strategies.

Graphical abstract

Section snippets

What’s new in malaria management?

Malaria (from Middle Age Italian, “mala aria” which literally translates to “bad air”, since ancient populations believed that the disease was associated with swampy, marshy areas where the air smelled bad) is a disease of huge public health importance caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected females belonging to the mosquito genus Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) (Capanna, 2006, Hempelmann and Krafts, 2013). The last two years registered hot

The importance of Integrated Vector Management

Following the concept of Integrated Vector Management (IVM), it is strongly suggested to avoid “vertical” management structures relying only on one form of mosquito vector control (e.g. indoor spraying), as it was common in the malaria eradication era (Nájera et al., 2011; WHO 2017b). To reduce the burden and threat of mosquito-borne diseases that affect humans, with special reference to malaria and dengue fever, WHO (2016a) supports the development of effective, locally adapted sustainable

A brief research agenda for malaria vector control

Overall, the strategies for Integrated Vector Management (IVM) (WHO, 2004, WHO, 2007, WHO, 2012, Beier et al., 2008) require novel technologies to effectively reduce outdoor transmission of malaria (The malERA Consultative Group on Vector Control, 2011). Despite the promising control tools recently tested against mosquitoes, current strategies for malaria vector control used in most African countries are not sufficient to achieve successful malaria control and local elimination (Hemingway et

Challenges and future outlooks

Overall, the development of effective and reliable mosquito vector control programs is facing several challenges, which can be classified as systemic, structural, informational, environmental, human movement, political and financial ones (WHO, 2016a). First, capacity for vector surveillance and control is insufficient in most the countries at risk from mosquito-borne diseases. Second, many countries that are endemic for more than one major mosquito-borne disease have disease-specific programs

Conflict of interest

The Author declare no competing interest.

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award NumbersR01AI100968 and U19AI089702. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors, and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Invited ReviewCurrent vector control challenges in the fight against malaria

Highlights

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Section snippets

What’s new in malaria management?

The importance of Integrated Vector Management

A brief research agenda for malaria vector control

Challenges and future outlooks

Conflict of interest

Acknowledgements

Ind. Crop Prod.

Enzyme Microb. Technol.

Trends Parasitol.

Biol. Control

Toxicon

Trends Parasitol.

Acta Trop.

Acta Trop.

Travel Med. Infect Dis.

Exp. Parasitol.

Trends Plant Sci.

Exp. Parasitol.

Ind. Crop Prod.

Acta Trop.

Res. Vet. Sci.

Trends Parasitol.

Spatial repellents: from discovery and development to evidence-based validation

Malar. J.

Evaluation of long-lasting microbial larvicide for malaria vector control in Kenya

Malar. J.

Susceptibility of adult mosquitoes to insecticides in aqueous sucrose baits

J. Vector Ecol.

Insecticide-treated clothes for the control of vector-borne diseases: a review on effectiveness and safety

Med. Vet. Entomol.

Anopheles gambiae: historical population decline associated with regional distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets in western Nyanza Province, Kenya

Malar. J.

Exotic mosquitoes conquer the world

Short report: entomologic inoculation rates and Plasmodium falciparum malaria prevalence in Africa

Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.

Integrated vector management for malaria control

Malar. J.

Attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) methods decimate populations of Anopheles malaria vectors in arid environments regardless of the local availability of favored sugar-source blossoms

Malar. J.

Declining malaria, rising of dengue and Zika virus: insights for mosquito vector control

Parasitol. Res.

Biological control of mosquito vectors: past, present and future

Insects

Research in mosquito control: current challenges for a brighter future

Parasitol. Res.

Plant-borne ovicides in the fight against mosquito vectors of medical and veterinary importance: a systematic review

Parasitol. Res.

Mosquito vectors of Zika virus

Entomol. Gen.

The effect of malaria control on Plasmodium falciparum in Africa between 2000 and 2015

Nature

Impact of artemisinin-based combination therapy and insecticide-treated nets on malaria burden in Zanzibar

PLoS Med.

More than one rabbit out of the hat: radiation, transgenic and symbiont- based approaches for sustainable management of mosquito and tsetse fly populations

Acta Trop.

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) for the control of dengue vectors: systematic literature review

Trop. Med. Int. Health

New developments in anti-malarial target candidate and product profiles

Malar. J.

An aggregation pheromone modulates lekking behavior in the vector mosquito Aedes aegypti (Diptera: culicidae)

J. Am. Mosq. Control Assoc.

Anti-parasite drugs sweep Nobel prize in medicine 2015

Nature

Grassi versus Ross: who solved the riddle of malaria?

Int. Microbiol.

Ivermectin to reduce malaria transmission II. Considerations regarding clinical development pathway

Malaria J.

Ivermectin to reduce malaria transmission III. Considerations regarding regulatory and policy pathways

Malaria J.

Ivermectin to reduce malaria transmission I. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations regarding efficacy and safety

Malar. J.

Male size does not affect mating success of Anopheles gambiae in São Tomé

Med. Vet. Entomol.

Change in composition of the Anopheles gambiae complex and its possible implications for the transmission of malaria and lymphatic filariasis in north-eastern Tanzania

Malar. J.

Invited Review
Current vector control challenges in the fight against malaria