A medical officer posted to an Indian metropolitan city is planning malaria control measures. Which species is the principal vector of urban malaria in India?

• A Anopheles culicifacies
• B Anopheles minimus
• C Anopheles fluviatilis
• D Anopheles stephensi ✓

Explanation

Anopheles stephensi is the recognized urban vector of malaria in India, breeding in overhead tanks, cisterns and construction sites in cities. Anopheles culicifacies is the major rural vector, fluviatilis is associated with foothill streams, and minimus is a forest and forest-fringe vector. Vector identification matters because urban control relies on source reduction of man-made containers rather than the rural strategies used against culicifacies.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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