[Anopheles species and the transmission of malaria in the forest/savannah transition zone in central Cameroon].

A longitudinal study on malaria vectors and transmission was carried out in a forest-savannah transitional area in Cameroon. Indoor all night mosquito collections on human bait were performed during one year in two villages: Nditam and Ngoume. Nditam was located in a secondary forest block surrounded by savannah, while Ngoume was situated in an ancient forest block. The results showed that at Nditam, only one anopheline species was collected, that was Anopheles gambiae s.l.. The average daily biting rate was 2.4 bites per man per night. The sporozoitic index of An. gambiae was 9.4%. The entomological inoculation rate was therefore estimated at 0.225 infective bite per man per night that is to say 82 infective bites per man per year. Malaria transmission was low during the year, but an important increase was observed in September, when the rainfall was at its peak. At Ngoume, no Anopheles mosquito was collected. Therefore, malaria transmission was not observed in that village.