Asssessing the potential of Arboviral Transmission in Karonga District, Northern Malawi

This entomological study carried out in Karonga aimed at establishing arbovirus vector densities in communities and arbovirus presence in the vectors. Adult mosquitoes were trapped using oviposition traps (ovitraps), and aquatic stages were sampled using nets and/ or scoops and were subsequently reared to the adult stage. Aedes aegypti was prevalent in all the six study sites. However, the study did not find Aedes albopictus, which is another known potential vector. The average Aedes Aegypti densities per site were: Hara 82 (15.7%), Iponga 144 (27.6%), Kaporo, 165 (31.6%), Karonga Town 128 (24.5%), and Kayelekera 3 (0.6%). There was an increase in density going further north of Karonga which borders Tanzania. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) showed that all sites had dengue (DENV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses, implying that in sampling sites, communities are at direct risk of dengue, Chikungunya infection, and other arboviruses. Further studies are required to fully understand and characterize the extent of arboviruses among local communities and the role of Aedes aegypti in their transmission. There is an urgent need to set up the laboratory platforms, monitoring, surveillance and control systems for nation by the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) which is responsible for disease surveillance and response before arboviral diseases such as Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, and others become epidemic and a major public health problem in the country.