Predicting mosquito infection from Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte density and estimating the reservoir of infection.

ABSTRACT: Transmission reduction is a key component of global efforts to control and eliminate malaria; yet, it is unclear how the density of transmission stages (gametocytes) influences infection (proportion of mosquitoes infected). Human to mosquito transmission was assessed using 171 direct mosquito feeding assays conducted in Burkina Faso and Kenya. Plasmodium falciparum infects Anopheles gambiae efficiently at low densities (4% mosquitoes at 1/µl blood), although substantially more (>200/µl) are required to increase infection further. In a site in Burkina Faso, children harbour more gametocytes than adults though the non-linear relationship between gametocyte density and mosquito infection means that (per person) they only contribute slightly more to transmission. This method can be used to det

SUBMITTER: Churcher TS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3660740 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature