EVALUATION OF COW DUNG AND NEEM IN THE CONTROL OF ANOPHELES SPP

Abstract

The control of malaria is complex and has previously focused on the use of drugs and chemicals targeting the parasite and the vectors respectively. However, this has been a challenge because the parasite and the vectors have developed resistance. However, integrated approaches that incorporate use of cow dung and plants products could increase the chances of malaria control. Deliberate organic contamination as a measure against mosquitoes has been shown to have a larvicidal effect but the findings have not been tested in semi-field conditions. For a long time, neem has been reported to possess larvicidal properties against mosquitoes. However, the combined effect of cow dung and neem on immature stages of Anopheles has not been investigated. This research was therefore designed to investigate the effect of cow dung alone and a combination of cow dung and neem on the immature stages of Anopheles mosquitoes. In the laboratory experiments, 10 individuals of each immaturetage were placed in bowls containing either cow dung, neem alone or neem and cow dung combined. Mortality was recorded after 24  hours. Semi-field experiments were conducted in a screen house where sub-plots measuring 1.5 x 0.5 m were created. Cow dung,  neem alone or cow dung combined with neem was added. 50 individuals of each immature stage were then introduced in each sub- plot and then mortality was recorded. Analysis of variance tests was performed to determine the effect of cow dung, neem alone and a combination of neem with cow dung on the immature stages of Anopheles species in both the laboratory and the  semi-field conditions. Results for laboratory experiments indicated that cow dung and neem individually caused significant  mortality of immature stages of mosquitoes. Also, a combination of cow dung and neem caused higher mortality than cow dung,  neem alone but the difference was not significant. In semi-field experiments, there was a significant difference in mortality  between all the immature stages in sub-plots containing cow dung alone. The mortality was higher in sub-plots applied with a  combination of cow dung and neem but as reported in the laboratory experiments the difference was not significant. The findings of this study have demonstrated that cow dung, neem alone and a combination of neem and cow dung caused mortality of the  immature stages and can thus be used in management of larval stages in the mosquito breeding sites.