Researchers at the Kenya Medical Research Institute have discovered a new mosquito in the East African country that has shown resistance to locally used insecticides and, unlike traditional malaria-causing mosquitoes, has the potential to transmit malaria year-round.
According to the World Health Organization, the mosquito species, called Anopheles stephensi, was previously known to transmit malaria only in parts of South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.
However, it has been expanding geographically, first found in Africa in Djibouti in 2012 and since then in several African countries such as Nigeria, Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan.
The mosquito's arrival, the first time a mosquito has been detected in Kenya, has raised concerns among researchers, who say malaria transmission could continue year-round rather than seasonally because it can "spread rapidly to new areas" regardless of climatic and environmental conditions.
The Kenya Medical Institute said in a statement: "This new mosquito poses a serious threat and could reverse the gains made in the fight against malaria. "Malaria in Kenya and across Africa is known to occur in rural areas. Rainfall, temperature and availability of uncontaminated mosquito breeding habitats in rural areas favor malaria mosquito breeding. ”
"However, Anopholes stephensi is unique in that it thrives in man-made containers and breeding habitats in contaminated environments. The establishment of Anopheles stephensi in urban and peri-urban areas could pose a serious threat to malaria transmission in Anopheles mosquito and malaria-free areas. ”
Recent studies across Kenya have shown that the new malaria-causing mosquito is present in Laisamis and Saku counties in Massabit in northern Kenya and has been detected during routine surveillance by the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the Ministry's National Malaria Planning Department.
Data from hospitals in the region also show an increase in malaria cases outside the usual malaria season.
According to UNICEF, malaria, transmitted through the contagious bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes, kills nearly a child under the age of 5 almost every minute in Africa.
"Malaria is a major public health problem in Kenya. The disease is endemic in different parts of the country and nearly 70% of the population is at risk," the Kenya Medical Research Institute said.
In 2022, there were an estimated 247 million malaria cases and 619 000 deaths globally. According to WHO, four African countries, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Niger, account for more than half of global malaria cases.
The Kenya Medical Institute is developing a "coordinated response" to new mosquito threats, urging people to cover all water containers to avoid mosquito breeding, using available malaria control tools such as mosquito nets, and using personal protective measures such as insect repellents, long-sleeved clothing.