[Comparison of catches by landings on humans and by CDC light traps for sampling of mosquitoes and evaluation of malaria transmission in South Cameroon].

The classical method to estimate the malaria transmission in an endemic area is based on the number and infectivity of human landing mosquitoes. To compare this method with CDC Miniature Light Trap a study was carried out in a forested area of South Cameroon. Light-trap and servant were placed in six different houses of the same village from 08 p.m. to 06 a.m. In average the human landing caught 29.9 anopheline females per night, while light-trap 52.4. The ratio of light-trap on human landing was 1.75 for Anopheles genus. This ratio varied with the species: 1.88 for An. nili and 0.54 for An. gambiae s.s. Light-trap showed disadvantages, especially the lack of steadiness and the fact that only 49.6% (n = 238) of potential vectors of malaria were in good standing for dissection of salivary glands. The authors concluded that human landing remained the most efficient method of catching for the estimation of human malaria transmission in the forested area of Africa. Nevertheless, the lower cost of light-trap is an important advantage.