No abstract

Central Sulawesi is one of the malaria-endemic areas in Indonesia. Anopheles nigerrimus, Anopheles barbirostris, Anopheles subpictus, Anopheles parangensis, Anopheles flavirostris and Anopheles minimus were confirmed as malaria vectors. Researchers believed that there might have a distinctly different distribution and diversity of the vectors in different ecosystems. The purpose of the current study was to investigate and analyze the distribution and diversity of suspected malaria vectors (Anopheles spp.) in various ecosystems. Adult mosquitoes were collected using some methods e.g. human man landing method, animal baited trap, mosquito caught around the cage, using sweep net and the light trap. The sporozoites of Plasmodium infecting the caught mosquitoes were identified and examined using PCR. In addition, a survey on potential breeding sites of the mosquitoes. Based on the survey results, the mosquitoes species caught in the non-forest ecosystems near the settlements and positively infected by Plasmodium were An. ludlowae, An. flavirostris, and An. vagus. Meanwhile, the malaria vectors caught in the non-forest ecosystems far from the settlements were An. maculatus and An. subpictus. The results also demonstrated that An. barbirostris was detected as a malaria vector in the coastal area near the settlement. The ponds, rivers and fish farms were potential breeding sites for the mosquitoes. The suspected malaria vectors (Anopheles spp) spread throughout ecosystems e.g. forests, non-forests and coasts. The high risk of ecosystems for malaria transmission was the non-forest ecosystems near the settlements, the non-forest far away from the settlements, and the coasts near the settlements.

Although being of less importance to the incidence of the vector-borne disease than mosquitoes, houseflies (Musca domestica) are mechanical transmitters of the disease. The chemical control carried out until now has brought about the emergence of resistance of houseflies against DDT and many other insecticides including organophosphates and carbamates. In order to look for an alternative insecticide which can control houseflies, a study was performed on the efficacy of insecticide belonging to the synthetic pyrethroid group containing 30 g/l of the active substance such as alphacypermethrin. Four dosages of insecticide with active ingredient of 30 g/l alphacypermethrin at dosages of 17.5 ml/ha, 35 ml/ha, 50 ml/ha and 70 ml/ha respectively wereused by fogging against houseflies kept in cages. The result showed that dosages of 35 ml/ha, 50 ml/ha and 70 ml/ha were all effective to kill M. domestica.