Anopheles mosquito fauna, blood meal sources and transmission intensity from high and moderate malaria endemic areas of Ethiopia

This study investigates malaria vector dynamics in Lare and Asendabo, southwestern Ethiopia, areas with limited entomological information. From July to December 2021, mosquitoes were collected from 56 randomly selected houses using Pyrethrum Spray Catches, CDC light traps, and Human Landing Catches. Blood meal sources (human, bovine, goat) and circumsporozoite proteins (CSP) were detected via Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and mosquitoes were analyzed for physiological state, and Plasmodium infection. The entomological inoculation rates (EIR) for Anopheles gambiae s.l. and An. funestus were calculated, and species identification was performed by PCR on CSP-positive and randomly selected samples. A total of 2,565 mosquitoes from four Anopheles species were collected, with An. gambiae s.l. dominating. Indoor collected anophelines (53%) surpassed outdoor (47%). PCR confirmed An. gambiae s.l. as An. arabiensis and An. funestus as An. funestus and An. leesoni. Twenty two An. funestus tested positive for Plasmodium while Plasmodium-positive pools also included, An. gambiae s.l. (15), An. coustani (2), and An. pharoensis (1). The P. falciparum EIR for An. gambiae s.l. in Asendabo was 1.39 bites/person/month, while An. funestus had the highest bite rate (10.52 bites/person/month). Mixed blood meals and zoophilic behaviour were common, underscoring the need for species-specific, spatio-temporal vector control strategies.