Vol. 5, Issue 6, Part A (2018)

Author(s): Anil Kumar, Thankachy Sonia, Smrutidhara Dash, Nallan Krishnamoorthy and Sudhansu Sekhar Sahu

Abstract: We observed behavioural changes in the host seeking preferences of two major malaria vectors Anopheles fluviatilis and An. culicifacies in Koraput and Malkangiri districts of Odisha state after the distribution of Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). The two vector speciescollected from the study villages of these districts were subjected to blood meal analysis and sibling species composition. Blood meal analysis results showed that 1.92% and 23.8% of An. fluviatilis were found to be fed on human in Koraput and Malkangiri districts, respectively and 5.1% of An. culicifacies in Malkangiri fed on human. After the distribution of LLINs, the sibling species S (malaria vector) of An. fluviatilis was disappeared from Koraput district, while in Malkangiri district the population of this species was found reduced significantly. There was a rising trend of An. fluviatilis sibling species T in both the districts. A change in the feeding behaviour of both the vector species from anthropophagy to zoophagy was observed.