First report of Anopheles stephensi in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract Background Anopheles stephensi is an emerging exotic invasive urban vector of malaria in East Africa. The World Health Organization recently announced an initiative to take concerted actions to limit this vector's expansion by strengthening surveillance and control in invaded and potentially receptive territories in Africa. This study sought to determine the geographic distribution of An. stephensi in southern Ethiopia. Methods A targeted entomological survey, both larvae and adult, was conducted in Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia between November 2022 and February 2023. Anopheles Larvae were reared to adults for species identification. CDC light traps and BG Pro traps were used overnight both indoor and outdoor at selected houses to collect adult mosquitoes in the study area. Prokopack Aspirator was employed to sample indoor resting mosquitoes in the morning. Adults of An. stephensi was identified using morphological keys, and then confirmed by PCR. Results Larvae of An. stephensi were found in 28 (16.6%) of the 169 potential mosquito breeding sites surveyed. Out of 548 adult female Anopheles mosquitoes reared from larvae, 234 (42.7%) were identified to be An. stephensi morphologically. A total of 449 female anophelines were caught, of which 53 (12.0%) were An. stephensi. Other anopheline species collected in the study area included An. gambiae (s.l.), An. pharoensis, An. coustani, and An. demeilloni. Conclusion The study, for the first time, confirmed the presence of An. stephensi in southern Ethiopia. The presence of both larval and adult stages of this mosquito attest that this species established a sympatric colonization with native vector species such as An. gambiae (s.l.) in Southern Ethiopia. The findings warrant further investigation on the ecology, behavior, population genetics, and role of An. stephensi in malaria transmission in Ethiopia.