Potential distribution of malaria vectors in Central Vietnam: A MaxEnt modeling approach

Vet World Vol.17 July-2024 Article - 11

Research Article

Veterinary World, 17(7): 1514-1522

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.1514-1522

Le Thanh Tam^1,2, Kavin Thinkhamrop³, Sutas Suttiprapa¹, and Apiporn T. Suwannatrai⁴

1. Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
2. Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology Quy Nhon, Ministry of Health, Vietnam.
3. Health and Epidemiology Geoinformatics Research, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
4. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Background and Aim: In Central Vietnam, Anopheles dirus and Anopheles minimus are the primary malaria vector species. These Anopheles spp.’ distribution and prevalence are determined by environmental, climatic, and socioeconomic conditions. This study aimed to predict the potential distribution of these two Anopheles spp. in this region.

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 15 Central Vietnamese provinces. From 2014 to 2018, we utilized An. dirus and An. minimus presence records. Proxy data from the Google Earth Engine platform for the study area, encompassing environmental, climatic, and socioeconomic factors. MaxEnt software predicted the potential environmental, climatic, and socioeconomic suitability of these two Anopheles spp. in Central Vietnam.

Results: The test area under the curve values for An. dirus and An. minimus MaxEnt models averaged 0.801 and 0.806, respectively, showing excellent performance. Minimum air temperature had the greatest impact on the distribution of both species. A negative correlation between precipitation and normalized difference water index influences the occurrence of An. dirus. In the temperature range of 13–19.5°C, An. minimus is most likely to be present, with nighttime light detrimentally influencing its distribution. The Central Highlands region is inhabited by both species, with some presence in North-Central and South-Central Coastal areas.

Conclusion: The importance of temperature in determining the presence of both species is emphasized by our findings, with subtle differences in the temperature-related factors shaping their distributions. The results highlight the need for focused malaria vector control and surveillance initiatives in the study area.

Keywords: Anopheles dirus, Anopheles minimus, Central Vietnam, MaxEnt.

How to cite this article: Tam LT, Thinkhamrop K, Suttiprapa S, and Suwannatrai AT (2024) Potential distribution of malaria vectors in Central Vietnam: A MaxEnt modeling approach, Veterinary World, 17(7): 1514-1522.

Received: 2024-04-19 Accepted: 2024-06-10 Published online: 2024-07-13

Corresponding author: Apiporn T. Suwannatrai E-mail: apiporn@kku.ac.th

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1514-1522

Copyright: Tam, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.