New Species of Mosquito Threatens Anti-Malaria Fight in Africa

A new species of mosquito is driving up infections in Africa, fueling a growing public health concern.

The Anopheles Stephensi mosquito, better known by some entomologists as just “Steve,” has so far been detected in seven African countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The mosquito, which originated from parts of South Asia, was first detected in Djibouti in 2012. Since then, malaria rates in the country have grown exponentially.

The new species has since spread to Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana.

Unlike other mosquitoes that breed in rivers and swamps, “Steve” is known to be an urban breeder that thrives in dry areas.

The species also bites outdoors during the day and is immune to commonly used pesticides.

Originally from South Asia, Anopheles Stephensi was first spotted on the African continent in Djibouti in 2012.

The small nation was on the verge of eliminating malaria at the time. It recorded just 27 cases that year. In 2020, there were more than 73,000.

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Besides Djibouti and Ethiopia, the mosquito has turned up in Sudan, Somalia, and Nigeria.

One study estimates the mosquito may put an additional 126 million people at risk of malaria in cities across Africa.

In Ethiopia alone, Hamlet and colleagues estimate that Anopheles Stephensi could increase malaria cases by 50% and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to control.

“This is very much possibly a cheap option compared to letting Anopheles Stephensi spread around the country,” Hamlet said. “There is a lot of economic burden on both individuals and the wider economy in this level of malaria increase.”

The last thing African countries need, however, is a new disease vector that is expensive to control.

“Most of the countries affected by malaria have limited resources to deal with already existing prevalent diseases,” Fitsum said.