Spatial distribution, environmental and physicochemical characterization of Anopheles breeding sites in the Mount Cameroon region.

In Cameroon, malaria stands as one of the major public health problems. The warm tropical climate of Cameroon and the dense forest and grassland vegetation provide conditions that are favourable for reproduction and survival of the malaria vector, and the consequent increase in the prevalence of malaria. Urban malaria is seriously on the rise. Urban farming, poor or inexistent drainage facilities, chaotic location of dwellings and factories in most towns, influence the mosquito population and affect malaria transmission intensity1. Important malaria vectors found in Cameroon are unequally distributed, and it is known that the occurrence of Anopheles species varies according to macro and micro environmental differences exhibited by different bioecological areas1–3. The spatial distribution of Anopheles vectors has been shown to greatly affect malaria transmission intensity4,5. The distribution and abundance of mosquito larvae actually reflect the oviposition preferences of adult females and the ability of immature stages to tolerate the conditions that prevail in aquatic habitats6. Therefore, characterizing Anopheles breeding sites in order to determine their influence on Anopheles distribution and densities could be very useful to understand the variations observed in malaria transmission intensity, so that more efficient vector control strategies could be planned. However, no substantial information exists on the influence of breeding sites distribution, environmental and physicochemical characteristics on malaria vectors distribution and densities in the Mount Cameroon region in particular and in Cameroon as a whole.