Anopheles Mosquitoes and Imported Malaria in Libya

Anopheles multicolor Cambouliu, An. sergentii Theobald and, in a circumscribed coastal area, An. labranchiae Falleroni are considered to have been vectors of malaria in Libya where the incidence of imported malaria has increased. Libyan records of the Afrotropical vector An. gambiae Giles sensu Zato are considered erroneus. However, two factors increase the risk of invasion from the south byAn. gambiae orAn. arabiensis Patton. These factors are the bridges across the desert formed by improved roads and local air traffic, plus the increasing receptivity to both imported malaria and its vectors in many parts of Libya where subterranean sources of water are being used for development and irrigation. This applies especially in the Fezzan, historically the most malarious part of Libya.