In her study entitled “The effect of physical barriers under an elevated house on mosquito entry: an experimental study in rural Gambia”, our CISeAL principal investigator, Majo Carrasco-Tenezaca, examined the impact of physical barriers on the entry of Anopheles gambiae and Mansonia mosquitoes, the main vectors of malaria. In four inhabited experimental huts located in rural Gambia, each elevated 2 meters above the ground, nocturnal collections of mosquitoes were carried out using light traps. Temperature and carbon dioxide levels were monitored inside and outside the huts, and different physical barrier treatments were applied and alternated every four nights. The experiment was conducted over 32 nights, measuring mosquito numbers and temperature in each hut.
A significant reduction in Anopheles gambiae and Mansonia mosquito entry was found in elevated huts, with 53% fewer mosquitoes in huts with open space below, 24% fewer in huts with air-permeable walls, and 31% fewer in huts with solid walls, compared to huts on the ground. However, Culex mosquito entry was not affected by height or physical barriers. The findings suggest that raising a house 2 meters off the ground reduces the entry of Anopheles gambiae and Mansonia mosquitoes, but not Culex mosquitoes. In addition, it was observed that the protective effect of height is diminished if physical barriers are installed under the hut. These results have important implications for the design of mosquito control strategies and prevention of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria.
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