ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH BREEDING SITES OF ANOPHELES MOSQUITOES IN DARA DISTRICT SIDAMA REGIONAL STATE ETHIOPIA

<strong>ABSTRACT</strong>: Malaria is one of the world’s serious and complex public health problems and it remains one of the greatest killers of human beings in developing countries. Due to its tropical location and other environmental factors, parts of Ethiopia are favorable for mosquito breeding and malaria transmission. The aims of this study were to assess environmental factors associated with potential breeding sites of Anopheles mosquito in Dara district/ woreda/ Sidama region, Ethiopia. Mosquito larvae were sampled from December 2021-Aughust. 2022 .on a monthly basis and 3rd and 4th larvae instars were identified microscopically in to its specie level. The data were collected by field survey based on purposively selected from total seven malarious Kebele and analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis by considering its significant difference. In total, 1625, larvae of Anopheles mosquito which represented only Anopheline gambie complex level, this was due to lack of PCR and sampled from puddles, hoof print, ponds, swamps, rain pools and streams during dry and wet seasons. Wet season has greater proportion of Anopheles larvae 1057 (65%) contrary to dry season 568(34.9%) in abundance. The ratio Anopheles larval density was highest in puddles (18.5 larvae per 10dips) in wet season and (26 larvae /dip) dry season and lowest in swamps (2.5 larvae per dips) in dry season at Adame and Kumato Kebele respectively. Anopheles gambie complex was dominant mosquito found in all larval habitats. Correlation analysis showed that both TDS and EC, at the time of sampling, and algae showed positive correlation in wet season, but distance to nearest house was negatively correlated and they were most important variables for Anopheles mosquito larval density but not during dry season. Chi-square test showed that Anopheles gambiae larval density was significantly associated with low vegetation cover, and a lack of emergent plant(p&lt; 0.05). Generally, Anopheles mosquito larval density was not significantly associated with water pH, water temperature, sunlight, water permanency and depth (p , and However, due to the availability of different types of Anopheles mosquitoes breeding habitats in the study area, environmental management interventions can be significantly lower mosquito productivity therefore, attention should be given for this breeding habitat for control of the vector during wet season (rainy).