Influence of Physico-chemical Conditions of Mosquito Breeding Habitats on Bacterial Communities in Minna, Nigeria

Abstract

Physico-chemical characteristics are key determinants of the occurrence, abundance, and distribution of bacterial communities in mosquito habitats, varying across habitat types and locations. This study was designed to evaluate the bacterial communities associated with conventional mosquito larval breeding habitats in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected from four habitat types (septic tanks, rain pools, rice fields, and drainages) within the city. Bacterial species were isolated from the samples, and the physico-chemical conditions of the habitats were analyzed using standard methods. Eight bacterial species were identified: Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bacillus licheniformis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Priestia megaterium, Neobacillus niacini, and Bacillus lentus. Apart from temperature (29.06±2.21 °C to 29.88±1.01 °C), all other physico-chemical parameters varied significantly across the habitats, including pH, dissolved oxygen, chemical and biochemical oxygen demand, phosphate and nitrate contents, total alkalinity and hardness, and electrical conductivity. Pearson’s correlation analyses revealed several interrelationships among the variables, while focused principal component analysis (FPCA) showed distinct interactions between environmental variables and bacterial species. These findings provide insight into environmental influences on bacterial ecology in mosquito habitats and are relevant for the development and deployment of bacterial larvicides.