Molecular Characterisation of Anopheles gambiae Complex and Its Preferred Blood-meal Hosts in the Southern Part of Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria

Baseline data on the distribution and genetic variability of malaria vector species are key to effective malaria control in endemic areas. This study characterised Anopheles gambiae s.l. and their preferred blood-meal hosts in the Southern Part of Gombe State using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) probing, respectively. The overall results from the226 An gambiae s.l populations revealed the predominance of An. coluzzii 68 (51.13%) followed by An. gambiae s. s. 61 (45.86%), while the least was An. 2 arabiensis 4 (3.11%). The analysis of the population varied significantly ( = 41.794, df = 2, P < 0.05). An. coluzzii 32 (54.24%) was also the most abundant species in Billiri, followed by An. gambiae s. s. 25 (42.37%), while An. arabiensis 2 4 (3.11%) was the least abundant. The species abundance varied significantly ( = 42.461, df = 2, P < 0.05). However, in Kaltungo, An. gambiae s. s. and An. coluzzii had the same species evenness 36 (48.65%). The preferred blood meal of the fed mosquitoes was human blood 86 (38.91%), followed by bovine blood 41 (18.14%), whereas the least preferred 33 (14.60%) was goat blood. The An. gambiae s. s. predominantly fed on humans 24 (39.34%) followed by bovine blood (8 (13.11%) and then goat blood 7 (11.48%), similarly, An. coluzzii 24 (35.29%) preferred human blood followed by bovine 16 (23.53%) blood while An. arabiensis demonstrated a similar preference for both human and bovine blood 1 (25.00%). This study clearly showed the presence of three Anopheles species siblings in Gombe South, with the most dominant being An. coluzzi followed by An. gambiae s.s., whereas An. arabiensis was the least. Therefore, there is a need to intensify the use of insecticide-treated nets by inhabitants of the two communities to reduce man-vector contact.