ISCEP 2026 At Sunway Putra Hotel 17-18 August 2026
ABSTRACT
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACT
T2.02
MOLECULAR CHARACTERISATION OF THE BLOOD FEEDING SOURCE OF ANOPHELES MACULATUS IN A PLASMODIUM KNOWLESI TRANSMISSION AREA
Abdul Jabir JAAFAR, Mohd Nazmi MD NADZRI, Ainul Huda KHAIRUL AZMAN', Nurul Asmaa ABDUL RAHMAN', Rezki Sabrina MASSE
Wedical Entomology Chic infectious Research Care, lestitute for Medical
National sites of Health DH Shah Ales Malaysia
Biomedical Epidemiology Unit Special Resource Cene stitute for Medical Research onl estates of Health (MH) Shah Alam Mys
ABSTRACT
Malaysia has eliminated indigenous human malaria, however, zoonotic malaria caused by Plasmodium knowles/ remains a major obstacle to WHO malaria elimination certification Although Anopheles maculatus is not traditionally recognised as a primary zoonotic malaria vector its widespread distribution in knowlesi-endemic areas may suggest potential epidemiological importance. A recent study in Indonesia had incriminated An maculatus as a potential vector of zoonotic malaria. Hence, this study investigated the blood-feeding patterns of An maculans collected from a P. knowlesi transmission area in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, Adult female An maculatus were collected using the human landing catch (HLC) method in Mukim Pantai, Negeri Sembilan, from March to June 2024. A total of 150 morphologically identified, non-engorged females underwent molecular blood meal analysis to detect traces of host DNA from their previous blood meal. Genomic DNA was extracted from dissected abdomens using the DNeasy Tissue KR (Qiagen, Germany) Vertebrate host DNA were detected via nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, followed by species-specific PCR assays for human and monkey DNA. Of the 150 samples analysed. 70 (48.7%) tested positive for vertebrate DNA, All vertebrate-positive samples contained human-derived blood meals, while no mankey DNA was detected. These findings confirm human-feeding activity by An maculatus in the study area, providing baseline evidence of its anthropophilic feeding behaviour. Further studies across broader geographical and ecological settings are recommended to better characterise the blood-feeding patterns of An. maculatus and its epidemiological significance in zoonotic malaria transmission.
Keywords Zoonotic malaria, Anopheles ca Pladiaren host preference, Col gene
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON ENTOMOLOGY AND PEST SCEP) 2005