Background Water pollution due to uncontrolled release of chemical pollutants is an important global problem. Its effect on medically important insects, especially mosquitoes, is a critical issue in the epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases. Methods In order to understand the effect of water pollutants on the demography of Anopheles stephensi, colonies were reared in clean, moderately and highly polluted water for three consecutive generations at 27 °C, 75% RH, and a photoperiod of 12:12 h (L:D). The demographic data of the 4th generation of An. stephensi were collected and analysed using the age-stage, two-sex life table. Results The intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), mean fecundity (F) and net reproductive rate (R0) of An. stephensi in clean water were 0.2568 d−1, 1.2927 d−1, 251.72 eggs, and 109.08 offspring, respectively. These values were significantly higher than those obtained in moderately polluted water (r = 0.2302 d−1, λ = 1.2589 d−1, 196.04 eggs, and R0 = 65.35 offspring) and highly polluted water (r = 0.2282 d−1, λ = 1.2564 d−1, 182.45 eggs, and R0 = 62.03 offspring). Female adult longevity in moderately polluted (9.38 days) and highly polluted water (9.88 days) were significantly shorter than those reared in clean water (12.43 days), while no significant difference in the male adult longevity was observed among treatments. Conclusions The results of this study showed that An. stephensi can partially adapt to water pollution and this may be sufficient to extend the range of mosquito-borne diseases.

Background and purpose: Mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of many pathogens such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and so on. The control of mosquitoes using chemical insecticides is not always a sensible approach, so, alternative biological control methods, especially the use of larvivorous fishes, can play a significant role in controlling of mosquito larvae. Materials and Methods: In this narrative review study, papers and dissertations were collected without time and language limits from international electronic databases in Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Ovid, Medline and WHO site, and Iranian scientific databases including: Barakatkns, SID, Civilica, Magiran, and Medlib using appropriate keywords from 1937 to 2018. Finally, 55 sources were selected and criticized, interpreted, and analyzed. Results: In the study, some of larvivorous fishes including Aphanius dispar, Carassius auratus (goldfish), Gambusia affinis, and Poecilia reticulate (guppy) have been investigated as important predators of mosquito larvae. Among these fish, Gambusia, Aphanius dispar, Colisa Lalia, Danio rerio, Goldfish, Guppy and Oreochromis mossambica are present in different regions of Iran. Conclusion: Given the fact that malaria carriers are present in many regions of Iran and the climate of Iran is also potentially suitable for the transmission of malaria, it is recommended to use larvivorous fishes that are compatible with the environmental conditions of each area.