XmlEntoVector

Mosquito lifecycle and behaviour

Per-species mosquito parameters describing the lifecycle and behaviour (except non-human-host interaction) are described in the mosq element within the anopheles sub-element of the vector element. (These parameters cannot be specified and are not relevant with the nonVector model). The specification of the initial transmission level in this model is described here. Suggested values for the parameters for the main African vectors can be found here

The default behaviour of the entomological model assumes complete density-dependence at the larval stages, so that the rate of emergence of mosquitoes is unaffected by interventions. To avoid this simplification, a model for mosquito population dynamics can be specified.

The mosq element has the following attributes:

name	type	unit	description
mosqRestDuration	int	days	Duration of the resting period of the vector
extrinsicIncubationPeriod	int	days	Extrinsic incubation period (time required for sporozoite development)
minInfectedThreshold	int	number	Number of infected mosquitos below which the values for proportion of infected mosquitoes and proportion of infectious mosquitoes are set to zero. Used in order to simulate interruption of transmission within the deterministic model.
mosqLaidEggsSameDayProportion	double	proportion	Proportion of mosquitoes host seeking on same day as ovipositing
mosqSeekingDuration	double	days	Maximum proportion of day spent host-seeking by the vector
mosqSurvivalFeedingCycleProbability	double	probability	Probability that the mosquito survives the feeding cycle
mosqProbBiting	double	probability	Probability that the mosquito succesfully bites chosen host
mosqProbFindRestSite	double	probability	Probability that the mosquito escapes host and finds a resting place after biting
mosqProbResting	double	probability	Probability of mosquito successfully resting after finding a resting site
mosqProbOvipositing	double	probability	Probability of a mosquito successfully laying eggs given that it has rested
mosqHumanBloodIndex	double	proportion	Human blood index: the proportion of resting mosquitoes which fed on human blood during the last feed

The default use (with the parameters described above) follows the original Ross-Macdonald model in assuming that intervention-induced reductions in adult mosquitoes do not affect the numbers of emerging females. The extension to incorporate a full-life cycle model that can capture effects of adulticiding on emergence is described here.

Non-human host parameters

Non-human hosts should be specified to allow for zoophily. Non-human parameters are contained within two sets of elements (all called nonHumanHosts): for vector transmission as a whole, and per species.

The first is a list of sub-elements of the vector element (under entomology), each containing just the category name and the number of hosts of that type.

Mosquito-host interaction parameters for these categories are then described within the anopheles elements, with the attributes:

name	type	unit	description
name	string		Identifier for this category of non-human hosts
mosqRelativeEntoAvailability	double	proportion	Relative availability of nonhuman hosts of type i (to other nonhuman hosts)
mosqProbBiting	double	probability	Probability of mosquito successfully biting host
mosqProbFindRestSite	double	probability	Probability that the mosquito escapes host and finds a resting place after biting
mosqProbResting	double	probability	Probability of mosquito successfully resting after finding a resting site

Further information is available here.

Parameter initialisation and changes in values during simulation

Note that proportionMosqLaidEggsSameDay, probabilitySurvivalFeedingCycle, humanBloodIndex, and nonHumanHostRelEntoAvailability are not model parameters, but are used to calculate the availability of both human and non-human hosts to mosquitoes and the mosquito death rate while host seeking in the absence of interventions. The simulated values of all these quantities may alter in the course of the intervention phase of the simulation.