Invasive Anopheles stephensi could redefine the epidemiology of malaria in Africa

Anopheles stephensi, a species of mosquito native to Southeast Asia, is finding its way to Africa. Unlike Anopheles gambiae, the species native to Africa, Anopheles stephensi can breed in tiny amounts of water year-round and has made a comfortable home in urban areas. It’s also a remarkably adept spreader of malaria in places and to extents not normally seen in places across the continent. In an extended episode of Malaria Minute, a podcast from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, guest host Thomas Locke discusses how researchers are tracking stephensi and how the invasive species could complicate efforts to control the disease in Africa.