Malaria transmission dynamics in Makenene, a forest–savanna transition zone, in Centre Region, Cameroon

Backgrounds Makenene, situated in transition zone between forest and savannah, has a high number of malaria cases, and there is little information on the mosquito fauna sustaining the transmission. This study provides an overview of malaria transmission dynamics in Makenene. Methods Entomological monitoring was conducted from February 2023 to January 2024. CDC light traps (CDC-LT) were used to collect mosquitoes for three consecutive days each month, while Human Landing Catch (HLC) was used for two consecutive nights each season. Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite-protein was detected in female anophelines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after morphological and molecular identification. Results A total of 1542 anophelines were collected (1374 by HLC and 168 by CDC-LT). Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles funestus s.s. were the only malaria vectors encountered. A high anopheline biting rate was recorded, with 21.45 bites per human per night. The sporozoite infection rates were 1.47% (12/816) and 1.28% (2/156) for An. gambiae and An. funestus respectively. The overall daily entomological inoculation rate (EIR) was 0.3 infectious bites per human per night. Conclusion Vector behavior suggests the importance of a combined approach that involves community engagement and entomological surveillance in this area where malaria transmission is maintained by both Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus .