Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé Direction Régionale de l'Ouest: Developing native strains of insect-killing Metarhizium spp. fungi to prevent malaria transmission in Burkina Faso

Despite efforts developing entomopathogenic fungi as biocontrol agents against disease vectors, expectations have not been met due to their relatively poor efficacy compared to cheaper chemical insecticides. The vast majority of mosquito control studies have focused on a single fungal isolate. However, the recent discovery that native strains of entomopathogenic fungi in Burkina Faso confer exceptionally high virulence against Anopheles gambiae provide new evidence that could transform the effectiveness of these biocontrol tools. These strains showed LT80 as low as 7 days, which is an unprecedented improvement over previous studies where LT80 values are ~10 days. The proposed research will investigate new ways to exploit local fungi strains for sustainable vectors control solutions. Specifically, using a combination of laboratory assays, semi-field experiments, and hut trials, I will investigate the practical utility of the native strain of Metarhizium from Burkina Faso for malaria vector control. This project will tackle the current challenges in the implementation of biocontrol strategies and will overcome the ecological barriers that have prevented the use of fungi for mosquito control and develop an effective entomopathogenic approach, which will be 1) applicable to other settings, 2) low-cost and biological, and 3) complementary to current vector control interventions.

Programme: International Training Fellowship

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