Seasonal Relative Abundance of Peri-Domestic Insects in Owerri Municipality and Surrounding Areas

Abstract

This study investigated the seasonal relative abundance of medical importance of peri-domestic insects (PDI) in Owerri Municipality and its environs in Imo State, Nigeria. Three major areas were considered: Owerri n Municipality, Owerri West and Owerri North. Three major communities were randomly selected and sampled in each area. Sampling was done two times a week in the wet season and dry season. Different sampling regimes were used to determine the effect of season on the relative abundance of the medical importance of PDI in the area. The sampled sources of Cockroach spp collected were toilets and kitchens while sampled sources of housefly collection include refuse dumps, kitchens, toilets and baits. Two methods were employed to collect mosquito species: indoor and outdoor collection of mosquitoes. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was used to run the analysis. Data obtained in this study were subjected to simple percentage, frequency table, mean, standard deviation, Pearson Product Moment correlation, contingency coefficient, multiple regression and t-test for independent test at α = 0.05. The result found that the relative abundance of medical importance of some PDI between wet and dry seasons was 60.5%and 39.5% in the study area. Hence, medical importance of some PDI was more abundant during the dry season than the wet season. And the mean difference was not significant. There were significant variations in the temperature, relative humidity and rainfall on medically important PDI during the wet and dry season. It was also found that temperature and relative humidity had little effect on medical importance of PDI during the wet and dry seasons in the study area. Climatic factors (such as humidity, temperature and rainfall) and have positive and significant effects on the diseases caused by the medical importance of some peri domestic insects (PDI). Therefore, the present study calls for strategic vector control intervention programmes that will help prevent the surge of medically important peri-domestic insects' density and the consequent scourge of diseases in this area of study and spread to other areas.