Tracking the invasive Anopheles stephensi mosquito and malaria spread in Ethiopia

Malaria Epidemiology and Vector Biology of Anopheles stephensi across Rural and Urban Landscapes in Ethiopia

NIH-funded research University of California-Irvine · NIH-11498202

This project follows a new mosquito species spreading in Ethiopia to learn how it changes malaria risk for people in cities and nearby rural areas.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California-Irvine NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Irvine, United States)
Project IDNIH-11498202 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you take part, researchers from U.S. and Ethiopian teams will collect mosquitoes and local environmental information in urban and rural communities to map where Anopheles stephensi is spreading. They will use improved surveillance methods, study mosquito behavior and biology, and test mosquitoes and human blood samples for malaria parasites or antibodies. Teams will compare different control approaches in real community settings, including household mosquito surveys and intervention trials. Results will be used to guide public health actions to reduce mosquito bites and lower malaria risk where this mosquito has invaded.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People living in or near urban and rural communities in Ethiopia where Anopheles stephensi has been detected and who are willing to take part in household surveys or provide health samples would be ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People who live outside the affected regions in Ethiopia or who are not exposed to malaria-carrying mosquitoes, or who do not wish to participate in surveys or sample collection, are unlikely to benefit directly.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better surveillance and targeted control tools that reduce malaria cases in affected Ethiopian communities.

How similar studies have performed: Vector surveillance and targeted control have reduced malaria in other regions, but work specifically focused on Anopheles stephensi in Africa is relatively new and less proven.

Where this research is happening

Irvine, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.