Towards malaria control in Nigeria: a qualitative study on the population of mosquitoes.

Malaria is still highly prevalent in many tropical countries and this disease can only survive in areas where mosquitoes and infected human populations are high. Relevant information on the species of mosquitoes, their habitats and their population are important in planning preventative strategies in the control of malaria, hence this study. Mosquito species and their habitats were investigated in both high and low density areas of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. The results showed that Culex pipiens fatigans, Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Anopheles gambiae and Culex trigripes were the commonest mosquitoes found in Benin City. Among the habitats studied, containers and gutters had the highest population of mosquitoes. The serious public health implications of these various species of mosquitoes is the possibility of outbreaks of infectious diseases like yellow fever, dengue, which some of these mosquitoes are known to transmit. Malaria, though endemic, is also important because of its associated high morbidity and mortality rates. This study provides some useful information on the habitats and species of mosquitoes found in Benin City. Follow-up studies are being carried out by the authors on quantitative studies on the population of these species of mosquitoes, the dissolved elements present in the different habitats that could promote or inhibit the breeding of mosquitoes, and KAP surveys on mosquitoes and malaria among the Benin populace. It is hoped that such comprehensive data would be very useful in planning effective preventative strategies in the control of malaria in Benin City.