An outbreak of Plasmodium falciparum malaria due to Anopheles minimus in central Assam, India

Epidemiological investigations were conducted in Nellie subcentre, PHC Jhargaon, under Morigaon district (Assam). The results of fever cases revealed 68 per cent slide positivity rate (SPR) and 40 per cent slide falciparum rate (SfR). The Pf proportion was > 87 per cent and remaining cases were P. vivax infections. An. minimus was incriminated as a malaria vector during the study period. The sporozoite rate was 3.08 per cent. The indoor man mosquito contact was 35 per bait/night as against 23 in outdoors. Results of susceptibility test revealed that the vector was still susceptible to both DDT and malathion at discriminating dosages. The study revealed that inadequate surveillance and vector control measures were contributing factors for malaria outbreak. In view of this, insecticide treated nets may be introduced to provide cost-effective control of malaria.