House Screening Reduces Exposure to Indoor Host-Seeking and Biting Malaria Vectors: Evidence from Rural South-East Zambia

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Abstract
This study evaluated the impact of combining house screens with long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) on mosquito host-seeking, resting, and biting behavior. Intervention houses received house screens and LLINs, while control houses received only LLINs. Centre for Disease Control light traps, pyrethrum spray collections and human landing catches were used to assess the densities of indoor and outdoor host-seeking, indoor resting, and biting behavior of malaria vectors in 15 sentinel houses per study arm per sampling method. The protective efficacy of screens and LLINs was estimated through entomological inoculation rates (EIRs). There were 68% fewer indoor host-seeking Anopheles funestus (RR = 0.32, 95% CI 0.20–0.51, p < 0.05) and 63% fewer An. arabiensis (RR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.22–0.61, p < 0.05) in screened houses than unscreened houses. There was a significantly higher indoor biting rate for unscreened houses (6.75 bites/person/h [b/p/h]) than for screened houses (0 b/p/h) (χ2 = 6.67, df = 1, p < 0.05). The estimated indoor EIR in unscreened houses was 2.91 infectious bites/person/six months, higher than that in screened houses (1.88 infectious bites/person/six months). Closing eaves and screening doors and windows has the potential to reduce indoor densities of malaria vectors and malaria transmission.
Funding Information
  • Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organization Africa Regional Office (WHO-AFRO) (4668)
  • the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) (4668)
  • the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) (4668)
  • The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) (4668)
  • Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) (4668)
  • Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (4668)
  • Government of the Republic of Kenya (4668)
  • German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) In-Region Postgraduate Scholarship and a partial University of Pretoria doctoral bursary (4668)

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