What Mosquitoes Are in Africa?
WouterUntil recently, malaria in Africa was concentrated in rural areas, but the emergence of an insecticide-resistant mosquito may change the malaria landscape. The Anopheles stephensi mosquito, which first appeared in Djibouti in 2012, has since spread to four other African countries. It may be responsible for a large malaria outbreak in Ethiopia, according to the country’s malaria researcher.
The mosquito is able to survive in artificial containers such as buckets and water storage tanks. It can also thrive in polluted cities. And, in Djibouti, the mosquito was able to spread to almost half of the population.
A mosquito called Anopheles stephensi has been discovered in several African countries, including Nigeria, Sudan and Yemen. It is known to be able to resist the use of insecticides and can live in natural water sources. This species may be able to spread to other African cities, putting 126 million people at risk of malaria.
The mosquito has been reported in several cities around the world, including Djibouti, Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia and India. It is not native to Africa, but it can survive in rural or urban environments and is resistant to standard insecticides.
During the dry season this year, there was a steep increase in cases of malaria in Ethiopia. The outbreak was in the eastern part of the country. A molecular biologist there linked the disease to mosquitoes. He said that it was unusual to have malaria in an eastern city, which is typically not a malaria hotspot.
