An Entomopathogenic Fungus for Control of Adult African Malaria Mosquitoes
Ernst-Jan Scholte,1
Kija Ng'habi,2
Japheth Kihonda,2
Willem Takken,1
Krijn Paaijmans,1
Salim Abdulla,2
Gerry F. Killeen,2,3
Bart G. J. Knols1,4*
Biological control of malaria mosquitoes in Africa has rarely been used in vector control programs. Recent developments in this field show that certain fungi are virulent to adult Anopheles mosquitoes. Practical delivery of an entomopathogenic fungus that infected and killed adult Anopheles gambiae, Africa's main malaria vector, was achieved in rural African village houses. An entomological inoculation rate model suggests that implementation of this vector control method, even at the observed moderate coverage during a field study in Tanzania, would significantly reduce malaria transmission intensity.
1 Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Post Office Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, Netherlands.
2 Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre, Post Office Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania.
3 Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland.
4 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Agency's Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: B.Knols{at}IAEA.org
