In French Guiana, malaria vector control and prevention relies on indoor residual spraying and distribution of
long lasting insecticidal nets. These measures are based on solid epidemiological evidence but reveal a poor understanding
of the vector. The current study investigated the behaviour of both vectors and humans in relation to the
ongoing prevention strategies. In 2012 and 2013,
Anopheles mosquitoes were sampled outdoors at different seasons
and in various time slots. The collected mosquitoes were identified and screened for
Plasmodium
infection. Data
on human behaviour and malaria episodes were obtained from an interview. A total of 3,135
Anopheles mosquitoes
were collected, of which
Anopheles darlingi was the predominant species (96.2%). For the December 2012-February
2013 period, the
Plasmodium vivax infection rate for
An. darlingi was 7.8%, and the entomological inoculation
rate was 35.7 infective bites per person per three-month span. In spite of high bednet usage (95.7%) in 2012 and
2013, 52.2% and 37.0% of the participants, respectively, had at least one malaria episode.
An. darlingi displayed
heterogeneous biting behaviour that peaked between 20:30 and 22:30; however, 27.6% of the inhabitants were not
yet protected by bednets by 21:30. The use of additional individual and collective protective measures is required to
limit exposure to infective mosquito bites and reduce vector densities.
