Literature Review On Malaria Epidemiology

Chapter II. Literature Review

2.1. Malaria epidemiology and regulating ecological interactions

Human malaria is infectious disease resulted by interaction of three key factors; these are causative agent, mosquito vector and susceptible human host. Different environmental factors interact and influence the interactions between vector and parasite, vector and host, as well as parasite and host. The interactions between the three key factors of malaria epidemiology are due to the requirements of both parasite and vector to complete theier life cycle; the parasites hasve a complex life cycle which requiresinvolves mosquito vector and human host and the vector mosquito requires blood from human and/or other vertebrate hosts. Therefore, malaria

Population both to the side of mosquito and the host is a factor influencing host preferences of mosquito vectors. The population of mosquitoes is regulated by many natural factors. Natural enemies including predators (Bond et al., 2005; Kweka et al., 2011); and entomopathogen parasites (Washburn, 1995; Mouatcho, 2010; Omoya and Akinyosoye, 2013) are common mortality factors of mosquitoes both at the larval and adult stages. Nutrient resource is also key factor in regulating mosquito population dynamics. For all natural habitats, the amount of primary productivity is a powerful determinant for the number of resident species and their population sizes because of inherent limits on conversion and utilization efficiencies at the various trophic levels; thus, primary productivity can set the upper limit on the number of trophic levels a community can support (Begon et al., 1986). Mosquito natural habitats exhibit internal productivity from aquatic plants including emergent vegetation, algal mats, and plankton (Washburn, 1995). Most often primary productivity that falls into mosquito breeding habitats is in the form of leaf litter

Availability and accessibility of larval nutrients in breeding habitats are key factors for survival and development of mosquito species (Araújo et al., 2012; Shapiro et al., 2016). Competition for food at the larval stage is important population regulating factor in Culex (Suleman, 1982) and Anopheles mosquitoes (Araújo et al., 2012; Shapiro et al.,