Assessment of physico-chemical characteristics of mosquito breeding sites in Northwest Nigeria

Abstract

Malaria and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are mosquito-borne diseases of serious public health problem in Northwest Nigeria. There is inadequate evidence on the effect of physicochemical parameters on mosquito larvae in rural and semi urban settings of Northwest Nigeria. This study aimed at assessing the effects of physicochemical parameters on Anopheles and Culex larvae in different breeding sites in Northwest Nigeria. Temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolve oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solid (TS), total suspended solid (TSS), total dissolve solid (TDS), oil and grease, PO43-, NO32-, Mg2+, Ca2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Zn2+ and larval density were determined. Conductivity, BOD, Na+ and Cl- significantly (P 0.05) affected the larval density negatively in breeding site B (petrochemical area). It was observed that, conductivity, TS, TDS, TSS, DO, COD, BOD, Na+, K-, Cl-, PO4- and NO3- significantly (P> 0.05) decreased the larval density in breeding site C (residential area) but, only BOD was significantly (P 0.05) decreased the larval density in breeding site E (residential area) but, significantly (P