How much does light pollution alter vector disease transmission at scale?
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Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasingly recognised as a global change driver due to its widespread use and ecological impacts. ALAN influences mosquitoes under laboratory conditions, altering the biting propensity of diurnal Aedes mosquitoes while suppressing that of nocturnal Anopheles species complexes, the primary malaria vectors in Africa. This study models ALAN's effects on mosquito vectorial capacity using the R package AnophelesModel, incorporating lab and field data on mosquito biting behaviour and light sources. Findings suggest ALAN may influence malaria transmission dynamics, underscoring the need for further investigation at household and larger ecological scales. However, small reductions in biting propensity alone mean ALAN has a smaller impact compared to other interventions.
Description
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : All data are available from the authors upon request.
Keywords
Artificial light at night (ALAN), Mosquitoes, Malaria transmission, Aedes mosquitoes, Anopheles mosquitoes
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG-15: Life on land
Citation
Coetzee, B.W.T. & Van Zyl, L. 2025, 'How much does light pollution alter vector disease transmission at scale?', African Journal of Ecology, vol. 63, no. 5, art. e70067, pp. 1-5, doi : 10.1111/aje.70067.