# Tracking the spread of a South Asian malaria vector in the Horn of Africa: A genetic approach

> **NIH NIH R15** · BAYLOR UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $420,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Malaria is a major global health concern. Controlling malaria transmission requires vector-based
interventions that consider local mosquito vector species composition. One growing concern for malaria
control programs is the movement of malaria vectors into new areas. Anopheles stephensi is a major
vector of malaria in South Asia and the Middle East. Our recent report of An. stephensi being found for
the first time in Ethiopia has raised concerns about the impact of this mosquito on the transmission of
the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, and the emergence of artemisinin-resistant malaria strains in
Ethiopia and the rest of the African continent as is happening in Southeast Asia. More information is
needed about the factors that are leading to the An. stephensi range expansion in Ethiopia, particularly
the impact of movement of pastoralist groups and their livestock. Also, the impact of the new vector on
local Plasmodium strains remains unknown. Genetic and genomic analysis of wild-caught mosquito
specimens can provide crucial insights into the evolutionary history and ecology of vector species. The
goal of the proposed study is to evaluate the history and spread of the An. stephensi population in
Ethiopia, characterize the intersection of vector feeding preferences and human-mediated vector
movement, and outline the potential impact on transmission of local malaria parasites using genetic and
genomic analysis. The project will be supported by my partnership with (U.S.) President’s Malaria
Initiative, which is actively conducting field surveillance and will provide mosquito specimens collected
from 20 sites with which to conduct the proposed investigation. The PI and undergraduate students will
apply whole genome and targeted sequencing to the An. stephensi collected from twenty sites in
Ethiopia to 1) determine the origin and nature of An. stephensi emergence and spread in Ethiopia, 2)
evaluate the relationship between mosquito migration and zoophilic feeding preferences that are
shaping the spread of Anopheles stephensi in Ethiopia, and 3) apply a novel genetic approach to
evaluate the potential of Ethiopian An. stephensi to spread Plasmodium. The results will inform
decisions about the type of interventions to implement and where such interventions should be target to
reduce the potential public health threat that the presence of An. stephensi poses.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9963463
- **Project number:** 1R15AI151766-01
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Tamar Carter
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $420,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-02 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9963463

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9963463, Tracking the spread of a South Asian malaria vector in the Horn of Africa: A genetic approach (1R15AI151766-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9963463. Licensed CC0.

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