Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42613622›Full record

ReviewParasites & vectors2026

Aquatic predators as complementary tools for mosquito vector control: current evidence, ecological considerations, and future directions.

Herieth H Mahenge, Halfan S Ngowo, Jacques Derek Charlwood, Douglas E Norris, Isaiah Hoyer, Fredros O Okumu, Emmanuel W Kaindoa

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Parasites & vectors, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Herieth H MahengeEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 53, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania. hmahenge@ihi.or.tz.
Halfan S NgowoEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 53, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania.
Jacques Derek CharlwoodGlobal Health and Tropical Medicine, Rua da Junqueira, Lisbon, Portugal.
Douglas E NorrisThe W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Insitute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Isaiah HoyerMicrosoft Corporation, 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA, 98052, USA.
Fredros O OkumuEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 53, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania.
Emmanuel W KaindoaEnvironmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 53, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania. ekaindoa@ihi.or.tz.

Funding

Ifakara Health Institute Training Unit Ref.# IHI/TC/BAG/2021/146The Wellcome Trust- Infectious Disease-Discretionary (Grant Number: 226703/Z/22/Z)Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Insecticide-based strategies for mosquito control are increasingly constrained by insecticide resistance, sparking interest in eco-friendly alternatives, one of which is the use of aquatic predators to reduce mosquito densities. Evidence from laboratory, semi-field, and localized field studies indicates that aquatic predators can significantly reduce mosquito larval and adult densities. However, direct evidence linking these ecological effects to sustained reductions in mosquito-borne disease transmission remains limited. This review synthesizes current studies on the use of aquatic predators for mosquito control and examines their potential as a complementary biological strategy within integrated vector management programs. While aquatic predators show promise for suppressing mosquito populations through both consumptive and non-consumptive effects, further research is needed to evaluate their epidemiological impact, operational feasibility, cost-effectiveness, scalability, and long-term sustainability. Addressing these knowledge gaps will be essential for determining how predator-based approaches can be effectively integrated into existing vector control strategies.

Indexed as

Aquatic OrganismsCulicidaeMosquito ControlMosquito VectorsPest Control, BiologicalPredatory BehaviorAnimalsMosquito-Borne DiseasesAquatic predators mosquitoesBiological controlCurrent applicationFuture directionMosquito-borne disease

Identifiers

PMID42613622
PMCPMC13483675

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.