article · Parasites & Vectors
Microbial communities in aquatic breeding sites influence the egg-laying, growth, and survival of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. Monitoring of larval habitats in southern Ghana over six months categorised sites as high-productive, low-productive, or non-productive based on larval presence. Amplicon sequencing of water and larval samples revealed distinct microbial profiles linked to habitat productivity. High-productivity habitats were characterised by specific bacterial taxa such as Paraclostridium bifermentans and Bacillus species, alongside fungal taxa including Cladosporium halotolerans and Aspergillus penicillioides. In contrast, low-productivity sites were associated with bacteria like Acinetobacter variabilis and Lactococcus garvieae, and yeasts such as Candida tropicalis and Pichia kudriavzevii. Bacterial community compositions differed significantly between productive and non-productive habitats, whereas fungal compositions did not differ significantly. These results demonstrate that microbial signatures correspond to habitat suitability for malaria vectors.
Malaria transmission depends on the abundance of Anopheles mosquitoes emerging from aquatic breeding sites. Identifying the specific environmental microbes that support or limit larval development helps explain why certain water bodies produce large mosquito populations. Understanding these ecological markers enables public health teams to recognise active breeding sites more reliably and develop targeted environmental interventions to suppress vector populations.
The identification of indicator microbes could inform vector surveillance programmes and the development of targeted larval control tools, such as microbial lures or biopesticides. Public health agencies and vector control organisations are the primary potential users. This work represents early-stage research, as practical surveillance kits or intervention products based on these microbial markers would require substantial formulation, field validation, and operational testing.
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Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes develop in diverse aquatic habitats, where microbial communities influence oviposition, larval growth, and survival. This study characterized bacterial and fungal communities across Anopheles larval habitats of differing productivity in southern Ghana. Larval densities were monitored bi-weekly over 6 months. Water and larval samples were collected for bacterial (16S rRNA gene) and fungal (ITS) amplicon sequencing. Based on the consistency of Anopheles larval presence throughout the monitoring period, habitats were classified as high-productive (larvae present at every visit), low-productive (intermittent larval presence), or non-productive (larvae consistently absent). The study revealed that distinct microbial signatures were associated with habitat productivity. Linear discriminant analysis identified Paraclostridium bifermentans and Bacillus spp. as indicator taxa for high-productive habitats, while Acinetobacter variabilis and Lactococcus garvieae were associated with low-productive habitats. For fungi, Cladosporium halotolerans and Aspergillus penicillioides were the primary discriminant taxa associated with high-productive habitats, while Candida tropicalis and Pichia kudriavzevii characterized low-productive habitats. Beta-diversity analyses revealed significant differences in bacterial communities between productive and non-productive habitats (PERMANOVA, p = 0.006), whereas fungal communities showed no significant separation. These findings highlight an association between microbial assemblages and larval-habitat suitability and underscore the potential of microbiota-informed strategies to enhance vector surveillance and targeted larval control.
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DOI: 10.1186/s13071-026-07644-2
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