Bacterial and Viral Infection

Understanding the changing patterns of malaria transmission

Led by Dr Bernard Steve Soh Baleba at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Kenya and Dr Natalie Pilakouta at the University of St Andrews in the UK

The mosquito species Anopheles stephensi is originally from Asia, but as a result of climate change it has recently spread to several African countries, including Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana. Unlike native mosquito species, it thrives in diverse environments, breeds all year round, and transmits Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax - the parasites that cause malaria. The expansion of An. stephensi into new environments therefore threatens the control of malaria in Africa.

Led by Dr Bernard Steve Soh Baleba at ICIPE and Dr Natalie Pilakouta at the University of St Andrews, this project will use Foundation funding to investigate how temperature changes affect the biology and spread of An. stephensi. The team will conduct field surveys to estimate mosquito populations, identify the malaria parasites they carry, and perform other bacterial and chemical analyses. In the lab, they will examine how different temperatures affect how the mosquitoes survive, reproduce, and transmit the infection.

Using these data, Steve, Natalie and their team will model which African regions might provide the most favourable conditions for An. stephensi. This will allow them to make predictions about its spread across Africa, and ultimately improve control strategies in the region.