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Malaria Journal
Published in: Malaria Journal 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Malaria | Research

Effects of anthropogenic landscape changes on the abundance and acrodendrophily of Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii, the main vector of malaria parasites in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil

Authors: Antônio Ralph Medeiros-Sousa, Rafael de Oliveira Christe, Ana Maria Ribeiro de Castro Duarte, Luis Filipe Mucci, Walter Ceretti-Junior, Mauro Toledo Marrelli

Published in: Malaria Journal | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

The mosquito Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii is the main vector of human and simian malaria in the Atlantic Forest. This species is usually abundant in the forests where it occurs, preferring to live and feed on canopies, behaviour known as acrodendrophily. However, in several studies and locations this species has been observed in high density near the ground in the forest. In this study, it was hypothesized that factors associated with anthropogenic landscape changes may be responsible for the variation in abundance and acrodendrophily observed in An. cruzii.

Methods

The study was conducted in a conservation unit in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Monthly entomological collections were performed from March 2015 to April 2017, and the resulting data were used with data from another study conducted in the same area between May 2009 and June 2010. Mosquitoes were collected from five sites using CDC and Shannon traps. Landscape composition and configuration metrics were measured, and generalized linear mixed-effect models were used to investigate the relationship between these metrics and variations in the abundance and acrodendrophily of An. cruzii.

Results

The model that showed the best fit for the relationship between landscape metrics and An. cruzii abundance suggests that an increase in the proportion of forest cover leads to an increase in the abundance of this mosquito, while the model that best explained variations in An. cruzii acrodendrophily suggests that an increase in total forest-edge length leads to greater activity by this species at ground level.

Conclusion

While the data indicate that changes in landscape due to human activities lead to a reduction in An. cruzii abundance, such changes may increase the contact rate between this species and humans living on the edges of forest fragments where An. cruzii is found. Future studies should, therefore, seek to elucidate the effect of these landscape changes on the dynamics of Plasmodium transmission in the Atlantic Forest, which according to some studies includes the participation of simian hosts.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Effects of anthropogenic landscape changes on the abundance and acrodendrophily of Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii, the main vector of malaria parasites in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil
Authors
Antônio Ralph Medeiros-Sousa
Rafael de Oliveira Christe
Ana Maria Ribeiro de Castro Duarte
Luis Filipe Mucci
Walter Ceretti-Junior
Mauro Toledo Marrelli
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keywords
Malaria
Plasmodia
Published in
Malaria Journal / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1475-2875
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-019-2744-8

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