In Nigeria, malaria causes up to 11% of maternal mortality. Our main aim was to find out the most common mosquito control measures employed by the pregnant women in Lagos and their effects on malaria infection. The study was carried out over a period of 6 months during which trained interviewers administered questionnaires to 400 pregnant women. The prevalence of malaria was 8.4%. There was no significant association between the prevalence of malaria and age, level of education, or occupation of the participants. Pregnant women in the age range 26-30 had the mean parasite density (409.9+/-196.80). Insecticide spray (32.8%), mosquito coil (27.5%), and insecticide-treated nets (ITN) (15.5%) were the major mosquito control measures employed by the participants while the prevalence of infection among them were 2.3%, 6.2%, and 3.2%, respectively (P<0.05). Only 18.3% of the women had taken more than one dose of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT), while another 11.8% had taken a single dose. The infection rate among them was 4.1% and 6.4%, respectively. Malaria prevalence was highest among those who had not received any dose of IPT (10%). This study showed that the use of ITN and IPT among the pregnant women were still unacceptably low. It also showed that the use of insecticide spray which was the most common malaria control measure adopted by the participants was effective despite the fact that it is not a National Malaria Control Policy. We recommend that a sustained integrated mosquito management and public education should be strengthened in Nigeria.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; *Culicidae/parasitology ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; *Insect Vectors/parasitology ; Insecticides ; Malaria/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Mosquito Control/*methods ; Nigeria/epidemiology ; Plasmodium/*physiology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Prenatal Care ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Questionnaires ; Young Adult

The status of Dirofilaria immitis infection was assessed in pet dogs of Busan, Korea, and chemoprophylactic effects of microfilaricidal medication were evaluated. A total of 294 pet dogs older than 6 mo were examined, 217 of which had been maintained indoors, and 77 had been kept outdoors. The Snap(R) kit and direct microscopic examinations of the peripheral blood were used. The mean overall parasite positive rates were 10.2% and 6.5%, respectively. Outdoor dogs evidenced adult worm infection rate of 31.2% and microfilaria infection rate of 18.2%. The indoor dogs, however, evidenced adult worm infection rate of 2.8% and microfilaria infection rate of 2.3%. The prevalence in males was more than 2 times that of females. The changing pattern of infection rates by age evidenced a gradual increase, from 2- to 6-year-old dogs, after which, a decrease in infection rates was noted. With regard to chemoprophylaxis, the infection rates of complete and incomplete chemoprophylaxis groups were found to be 2-3 times lower than that of the non-chemoprophylaxis group. The results of the present study indicate that the risk of exposure to D. immitis in pet dogs is quite high, particularly in male outdoor dogs, and chemoprophylactic measures were quite effective.
Animals ; Chemoprevention ; Dirofilaria immitis/growth & development/*isolation & purification ; Dirofilariasis/blood/*epidemiology/parasitology/prevention & control ; Dog Diseases/blood/*epidemiology/parasitology/prevention & control ; Dogs ; Female ; Heart/parasitology ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Mosquito Control ; Prevalence

Extensive previous studies on taxonomy, behavior/bionomics and control of Anopheles sinensis are reviewed and summarized. Recent molecular identification revealed that the population of An. sinensis complex includes An. sinensis, An. pullus, An. lesteri and at least two new species, and An. yatsushiroensis is synonmy of An. pullus. An. sinensis is the main vector specie of vivax malaria in Korea. Larvae of An. sinensis breed in wide range of habitats which are naturally-made clean water, stagnant or flowing; main habitats include rice fields, ditches, streams, irrigation cannals, marshes, ponds, ground pools, etc. Their host preferences are highly zoophilic. Human blood rate is very low (0.7-1.7%) ; nevertheless An. sinensis readily feeds on man when domestic animals are not found near by. They feed on hosts throughout the night from dusk to dawn with a peak period of 02: 00-04: 00 hours; they are slightly more exophagic (biting outdoors) ; much larger numbers come into the room when light is on. Main resting places are outdoors such as grasses, vegetable fields and rice fields. A mark-release-recapture study resulted that 37.1% was recaptured within 1 km, 29.4% at 1-3 km, 21.1% at 3-6 km, 10.3% at 6-9 km and 2.1% at 9-12 km distance. An. sinensis hibernate outdoors (mostly under part of dense grasses) during October-March. At the end of the hibernation period (March-April) they feed on cows at daytime. Until today any single measure to effectively control An. sinensis population has not been found. Indoor residual spray with a long-lasting insecticide can not reduce vector population densities, but shorten their life spans in some degree, so contributes to malaria control.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic/parasitology ; Anopheles/parasitology/*physiology ; Bites and Stings ; *Ecosystem ; Feeding Behavior ; Humans ; *Insect Vectors ; Korea ; Larva/physiology ; *Malaria, Vivax ; Mosquito Control ; Plasmodium vivax ; Population Density ; Seasons

A systematic mosquito taxonomic study in Korea was established by Lee in 1971. Since then, many species have been recorded as new to Korea. However, much of this taxonomic information has been distributed in a number of scientific publications. This work attempts to combine this information into a single document, as well as to synthesize revised taxonomic synonyms of species occurring in Korea. Four species, Culex vorax, Culex kangi, Aedes kobayashii and Culiseta kanayamensis listed in our previous paper, are synonyms of Culex halifaxii, Culex jacksoni, Aedes alektorovi and Culiseta bergrothi, respectively. Culex annulus is a misidentified species of Culex pseudovishnui. The subspecies Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus and subgenus Mansonia (Coquillettidia) were treated as full species and genus respectively in a catalog of the mosquitoes of the world. However, not all current authors agree to those specific and generic treatment. Based on available publications the total number of mosquito species recorded in Korea is now 52 representing 9 genera. Forty-five of these 52 are confirmed species with preserved specimen representation. As collection of specimen continues, there is a possibility that representative of 7 unconfirmed species will be found. I hope this paper will provide useful information for entomology workers who are interested in mosquito taxonomy in Korea.
parasitology-arthropoda ; mosquito ; taxonomy ; Culex halifaxii ; Culex jacksoni ; Aedes alektorovi ; Culiseta bergrothi ; Culex pseudovishnui ; Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus ; Mansonia

In order to determine the seasonal prevalence and population density of vector mosquitoes in Kyungpook province, a survey based on average number of female mosquito per trap-night, were carried out during the period from May to November in 1984. Among the 34,571 mosquitoes collected in Kyungsan county in animal shelters and human dwellings by light traps, approximately 45.0 % were Culex tritaeniorhynchus, 34. 0 % per cent Culex pipiens pallens, and 19.0 per cent Anopheles sinensis. By comparison, distribution of mosquito species in Ankang town, in which Japanese encephalitis had been reported in the past, were quite different and A. sinensis was the most abundant species, being constituted in 75.8 per cent, followed by C. tritaeniorhynchus(23. 2 percent), and C. pipiens pallens(0. 6 per cent). In the general patten of seasonal prevalence, C. tritaeniorhynchus first appeared in mid-June, and trapped in large numbers during the periods from mid-August to early September, showing a simple sharply pointed one-peaked curve, while C. pipiens pallens was found to be active through almost the entire season showing irregular curves with several peaks. The trend of seasonal distribution of A. sinensis was similar to that of C. tritaeniorhynchus, but the earliest dates of appearance and disappearance different form that of C. tritaeniorhynchus. The results of hourly catches of mosquitoes by human baited traps have clearly shown the differences in the biting rhythm among the vector mosquitoes of this province, such as the facts that C. tritaeniorhynchus and A. sinensis are rather constantly active all through a night with more or less inconspicuous peaks twice a night, while C. pipiens pallens exhibits an irregular curve, and the numbers of A. vexans nipponii, C. vagans and Armigeres subalbatus are very small and are not sufficient for estimating the biting rhythm. Four genera and fourteen species of larval mosquitoes collected from eighteen kinds of habitats which classified according to the categories followed by Bates(1949). The main breeding sites contributing to peak C. tritaeniorhynchus adult densities in this surveyed areas were evidently ricefields, ground pools, puddles and swamps and marshes, etc. Summarizing the results, this study indicated that the highest population density of C. tritaeniorhynchus was encountered in late August and early September, showing simple sharply pointed one-peaked curve.
parasitology-arthropoda ; mosquito-epidemiology ; Culex tritaeniorhynchus ; Culex pipiens pallens ; Anopheles sinensis

This paper is the result of adult female mosquito and larval collection in U.S. Army Installations in Korea from 1979 to 1983. New Jersey light traps ere operated for ault collection from May to October. The primary concern of this surveillance is to determine when to recommend insecticide spraying for mosquito control in the Army areas. The 5th Preventive Medicine Unit have developed an "index" level of female mosquitoes in a light trap similar to other U.S.Army Agencies in other parts of the world. When 10 female mosquitoes are reached on two consecutive trap-night, or 5 known vector females are collected, fogging is recommended in the trap areas. Mosquito collections were conducted in 12 U.S. Army areas by operating 39 New Jersey light traps. Mosquitoes collected from the areas were identified to be 17 species comprising 3 genera. Anopheles sinensis(40%). Culex tritaeniorhyncus(31%), Aedes vexans nipponii(19%), and Culex pipiens pallens(10%) appeared to be the most common species in the area. The species, population density and monthly appearance of adult mosquitoes were found to be almost the same in the all provinces involved. And Japanese encephalitis vector mosquitoes, Culex tritaeniorhyncus, showed their seasonal fluctuation from July to September with a peak in August each year. 3. Larval habitats confirmed in the Army areas were categorized into 16 types as shown in Table The mosquito larvae collected in those habitats were identified to be 15 species representign 4 genera. Most breeding sites in the Army areas were those which are activated during the wet season. More mosquitoes were collected from the Kyungki province than from the other provinces. The reason for more collection of mosquitoes from military installations in the Kyungki provinces appears to be the geographic characteritics surrounded by rice fields, marshes and other stagnant water areas.
parasitology-arthropoda-mosquito ; taxonomy ; epidemiology ; Anopheles sinensis ; Culex tritaeniorhyncus ; Aedes vexans nipponii ; Culex pipiens pallens

Aedes alboscutellatus was recorded first in Korea. This mosquito was collected near Demilitarized Zone of Korea Penninsula from 1979-1980. Its morphology and taxonomical position was described(abstracted from English content).
parasitology-arthropoda ; mosquito ; Aedes alboscutellatus ; morphology ; taxonomy

The present studies were carried out, under natural room condition from June to July in 1969. The period required for growth of eggs and larva varied according to various temperatures and methods of rearing. The average number of eggs laid by the Culex pipiens pallens was 137 per egg raft. The period of gonotrophic cycle was from 3 to 6 days: incubation period of eggs was from 1.5 to 2 days: larva period was from 10 to 14 days: pupa period was from 2 to 3 days. Accordingly, the period from the beginning of gonotrophic cycle to the adult mosquitos in next generation required 25 days at the longest and 16.5 days at the shortest.
parasitology-arthropodology-Culex pipiens pallens ; life cycle ; egg ; pupa ; larva ; mosquito

During the summer season(July-August) in 1967, the insecticide tests for resistance on adult A. sinensis and C. tritaeniorhynchus were carried out in Gobu-Myun Jeongup-Gun, Chollapuk-Do, where many Japanese encephalitis cases occur every year. The mortality by 4.0% DDT in A. sinensis was 88.9% and by 4.0% dieldrin was 84.4%. Therefore the LC-50 of DDT for A. sinensis was 1.75%, while LC-50 of dieldrin was 1.1%. The mortality by 4.0% DDT in C. tritaeniorhynchus was 36.7%, and by 4.0% dieldrin was 6.0% The result indicates that A. sinensis in Korea is susceptible to DDT and resistant to dieldrin. C. tritaeniorhynchus is highly resistant to both DDT and dieldrin.
parasitology-arthropoda ; vector ; mosquito ; Culex tritaeniorhynchus ; Anopheles sinensis ; chemotherapy ; DDT ; dieldrin

For the determination/confirmation of the vector species of Japanese encephalitis in Korea and for the study of their bionomics, a preliminary assessment of different collecting methods of sampling mosquito population was undertaken. Man-biting catches, cow-biting catches, pig-baited window-trap hut, light trap, dry ice trap and man-baited double net were employed. The advnntages and disadvantages of these methods are discussed. A pig-baited window-trap hut and cow-biting catches outdoors are considered the best ways of collecting large numbers of Culex tritaeniorhynchus summorosus, the most important vector of Japanese encephalitis, for virus isolation and insecticide susceptility testing. The latter method requires, however, more man-power. Light traps set in a pigsty or cowshed are the simplest and most convenient tools for studying tne mosquito population density and seasonal prevalence.
parasitology-arthropoda ; Japanese encephalitis ; vector ; mosquito ; Culex tritaeniorhynchus summorosus