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Effect of ionising (gamma) radiation on female Anopheles arabiensis
Leonard C Dandalo1,2, Alan Kemp3, Lizette L Koekemoer1,2
1Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Background:
In a mosquito sterile insect technique programme the ideal scenario is to release male mosquitoes only. However, because there are currently no sex separation strategies which guarantee total female elimination, this study investigated the effect of irradiation on physiological and reproductive fitness of females of an Anopheles arabiensis genetic sexing strain.
Methods:
Female pupae were irradiated at 70 Gy and the effects of irradiation on adult emergence, longevity, blood-feeding capability, mating ability, fecundity and fertility were assessed.
Results And Conclusion:
Irradiation reduced adult emergence and fecundity but did not affect adult survivorship, mating and blood feeding ability, which suggests that irradiated female mosquitoes can transmit disease pathogens.