'Urban' Kenya has been alerted because new mosquito species, Anopheles stephensi, threatens to derail decades of effort made in the fight against malaria.
by experts from the Kenya Medical Research Institute , the species was first noted during routine mosquito surveillance in Saku and Laisamis villages in Marsabit County. The report states that, unlike the traditional mosquito vector, thecan adapt to man-made habitats that include plastic containers, discarded car tyres and open sewer lines--this makes urban centres a hot spot for their prevalence.
"It breeds in a wide range of habitats, mostly water storage containers that are not covered, manholes, overhead tanks, poorly dumped plastic containers etc." Urban areas have usually been spared the malaria burden due to access to proper medical facilities and a good understanding of the disease and how to control and prevent it.
The report stated that 51 percent of the global malaria deaths were in Africa, with Burkina Faso , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Nigeria , Mozambique , Niger and Tanzania . The lake and coastal regions are categorized as malaria-endemic due to the favourable temperature and humid conditions they provide for mosquito breeding.
"What this means is that we are going to have more incidences of malaria because this vector can thrive in both rural and urban settings and many other geographical regions," says Dr Alex Owino, Medical Superintendent, Katulani Sub-County Hospital, Kitui.
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