The Dominant Mosquito Vectors of Human Malaria in India

In India malaria endemicity is characterized by diverse ecology and multiple disease vector species [1]. In the Southeast Asian region, India alone contributes to nearly 80% of malaria cases with the largest population of the world living at risk of malaria. In 2011, India reported 1.3 million confirmed malaria cases and 753 attributable deaths, but estimated cases and deaths are 10 to 20 times more [2,3]. Of the two Plasmodium prevalent in India, Plasmodium falcipa‐ rum incidence has not declined significantly although P. vivax has resulting in the rising trend of the former parasite to presently contributing ~50% of the reported cases. Distribution and spread of chloroquine resistance and emergence of multi-drug resistant strains may have contributed to this phenomenon [4]. Even though transmission intensities across India are lowto-moderate, disease remains geographically entrenched in poor marginalized population groups particularly living in remote/ forest fringe/ tribal belts of eastern, central and north‐ eastern states for contributing >65% of malarial episodes [5,6].