Host feeding patterns of malaria vectors of Orissa, India

Blood meals of 1,491 Anopheles fluviatilis sensu lato (s.l.), 1,690 An. culicifacies s.l., 719 An. annularis s.l., and 358 An. varuna sensu stricto were examined by gel diffusion method. The overall anthropophilic index (AI) was 78.9%, 1.6%, 3.2%, and 6.7% for An. fluviatilis, An. culicifacies, An. annularis, and An. varuna, respectively. Out of 4 anopheline species studied, only 0.2% of An. culicifacies blood meals contained blood from humans and cattle. Anopheles fluviatilis and An. culicifacies revealed seasonality in their anthropophilic index. An. fluviatilis showed a human forage ratio of more than 1, whereas An. culicifacies, An. annularis, and An. varuna had forage ratios of 2.6, 2.5, and 2.4, respectively, for bovine. There was a correlation between the Al of An. fluviatilis and the malaria slide positivity rate. This study suggests that the use of repellent, insecticide-treated nets will be effective for controlling biting mosquitoes inside houses in Orissa.