Last Updated: 06/04/2020
Isolation and molecular characterisation of Microsporidia species in Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes in Kenya
Objectives
The main objective of this project is to isolate and characterise a novel Microsporidian species (Microsporidia MB), and determine its correlation with Plasmodium falciparum parasite in wild-caught Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes in Mbita and Mwea, Kenya.
This objective will be achieved through:
- To determine the prevalence of Microsporidia MB in Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes in Mbita and Mwea, Kenya.
- To determine tissue tropism from a laboratory-reared Microsporidia MB-infected Anopheles arabiensis mosquito colony.
- To correlate the presence of Microsporidia MB and Plasmodium parasite in Anopheles gambiae arabiensis mosquitoes in Mbita and Mwea, Kenya.
International centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kenya
With the current stall in malaria decline mainly due to the evolution of resistance in the major malaria vectors, major strides have been made to develop more sustainable control tools. This was the main focus of our research team. We discovered a novel microsporidian symbiont of Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes that blocks the transmission of Plasmodium, called Microsporidia MB.
Jan 2016 — Dec 2019
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