Malaria vectors (Culicidae:Anopheles) in the Brazilian Amazon rural settlements

Abstract

The structural and functional modifications in natural landscapes, caused by human activities, create ecological and environmental conditions that favor the establishment and circulation of mosquito vectors as well as the pathogens associated with human malaria in the Brazilian Amazon. In addition, the land use patterns caused by the processes of human migration represent one of the major challenges faced by both the malaria control program and entomological surveillance. The process of the Amazon forest degradation has led to the formation of heterogeneous mosaics formed by forest fragments interspersed with areas used for agricultural activities, livestock, fish farming, mining, roads and water reservoirs created by construction of dams of hydroelectric power. The Anopheles species that are vectors of Plasmodium spp. are capable to adapt to the microclimate changes caused by environmental changes related to different land use patterns. As a result, the risk of malaria epidemics in these areas, in general, increases considerably. Thus, both distribution and the incidence of malaria have heterogeneous distribution that depends on environmental and ecological factors, as well as economic and demographic determinants. Thus, for the malaria control campaigns succeed is essential to understand the dynamics of populations of Anopheles mosquitoes involved in Plasmodium transmission. The objectives of this study are to: 1) determine the species of Anopheles participating in the dynamics of malaria transmission in peridomiciliary environment and forest edge; 2) verify Plasmodium infection in Anopheles species present in peridomiciliary environment and forest edge; 3) address the single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genome of the species that are found more abundant and more often infected by Plasmodium; 4) detect single nucleotide mutations in genomic regions involved in the susceptibility of mosquitoes to infection by Plasmodium spp. (AU)