scholarly journals Biologically meaningful coverage indicators for eliminating malaria transmission

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 874-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samson S. Kiware ◽  
Nakul Chitnis ◽  
Gregor J. Devine ◽  
Sarah J. Moore ◽  
Silas Majambere ◽  
...  

Mosquitoes, which evade contact with long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual sprays, by feeding outdoors or upon animals, are primary malaria vectors in many tropical countries. They can also dominate residual transmission where high coverage of these front-line vector control measures is achieved. Complementary strategies, which extend insecticide coverage beyond houses and humans, are required to eliminate malaria transmission in most settings. The overwhelming diversity of the world's malaria transmission systems and optimal strategies for controlling them can be simply conceptualized and mapped across two-dimensional scenario space defined by the proportion of blood meals that vectors obtain from humans and the proportion of human exposure to them which occurs indoors.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B Keven ◽  
Georgia Artzberger ◽  
Mary L. Gillies ◽  
Rex B. Mbewe ◽  
Edward D. Walker

Abstract Background: Determination of bloodmeal hosts in blood-fed female Anopheles mosquitoes is important for evaluating vectorial capacity of vector populations and assessing effectiveness of vector control measures. Sensitive molecular methods are needed to detect traces of host blood in mosquito samples, to differentiate hosts, and to detect mixed host blood meals. This paper describes a molecular probe-based quantitative PCR for identifying bloodmeal hosts in Anopheles malaria vectors from Papua New Guinea.Methods: TaqMan oligonucleotide probes targeting specific regions of mitochondrial or nuclear DNA of the three primary Anopheles bloodmeal hosts – humans, pigs and dogs – were incorporated into a multiplex, quantitative PCR which was optimized for sensitivity and specificity.Results: Amplification of serially diluted DNA showed that the quantitative PCR detected as low as 10-5 ng/μl of host DNA. Application to field-collected, blood-fed Anopheles showed that the quantitative PCR identified the vertebrate hosts for 335/375 (89%) of mosquitoes whereas only 104/188 (55%) of bloodmeal samples tested in a conventional PCR were identified. Of 188 blood-fed Anopheles that were analyzed in both PCR methods, 16 (8.5%) were identified as mixed bloodmeals by the quantitative PCR whereas only 3 (1.6%) were mixed bloodmeals by the conventional PCR.Conclusions: The multiplex quantitative PCR described here is sensitive at detecting low DNA concentration and mixed host DNA in samples and useful for bloodmeal analysis of field mosquitoes, in particular mixed-host bloodmeals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. D. Soma ◽  
B. Zogo ◽  
P. Taconet ◽  
A. Somé ◽  
S. Coulibaly ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To sustain the efficacy of malaria vector control, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the combination of effective tools. Before designing and implementing additional strategies in any setting, it is critical to monitor or predict when and where transmission occurs. However, to date, very few studies have quantified the behavioural interactions between humans and Anopheles vectors in Africa. Here, we characterized residual transmission in a rural area of Burkina Faso where long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) are widely used. Methods We analysed data on both human and malaria vectors behaviours from 27 villages to measure hourly human exposure to vector bites in dry and rainy seasons using a mathematical model. We estimated the protective efficacy of LLINs and characterised where (indoors vs. outdoors) and when both LLIN users and non-users were exposed to vector bites. Results The percentage of the population who declared sleeping under a LLIN the previous night was very high regardless of the season, with an average LLIN use ranging from 92.43 to 99.89%. The use of LLIN provided > 80% protection against exposure to vector bites. The proportion of exposure for LLIN users was 29–57% after 05:00 and 0.05–12% before 20:00. More than 80% of exposure occurred indoors for LLIN users and the estimate reached 90% for children under 5 years old in the dry cold season. Conclusions LLINs are predicted to provide considerable protection against exposure to malaria vector bites in the rural area of Diébougou. Nevertheless, LLIN users are still exposed to vector bites which occurred mostly indoors in late morning. Therefore, complementary strategies targeting indoor biting vectors in combination with LLIN are expected to be the most efficient to control residual malaria transmission in this area.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilinca I. Ciubotariu ◽  
Christine M. Jones ◽  
Tamaki Kobayashi ◽  
Thierry Bobanga ◽  
Mbanga Muleba ◽  
...  

AbstractDespite ongoing malaria control efforts implemented throughout sub-Saharan Africa, malaria remains an enormous public health concern. Current interventions such as indoor residual spraying with insecticides and use of insecticide-treated bed nets are aimed at targeting the key malaria vectors that are primarily endophagic and endophilic. While these control measures have resulted in a substantial decline in malaria cases and continue to impact indoor transmission, the importance of alternative vectors for malaria transmission has been largely neglected. Anopheles coustani, an understudied vector of malaria, is a species previously thought to exhibit mostly zoophilic behavior. However, recent studies from across Africa bring to light the contribution of this and ecologically similar anopheline species to human malaria transmission. Like many of these understudied species, An. coustani has greater anthropophilic tendencies than previously appreciated, is often both endophagic and exophagic, and carries Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. These recent developments highlight the need for more studies throughout the geographic range of this species and the potential need to control this vector. The aim of this study was to explore the genetic variation of An. coustani mosquitoes and the potential of this Anopheles species to contribute to malaria parasite transmission in high transmission settings in Nchelenge District, Zambia, and the Kashobwe and Kilwa Health Zones in Haut-Katanga Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Morphologically identified An. coustani specimens that were trapped outdoors in these study sites were analyzed by PCR and sequencing for species identification and blood meal sources, and malaria parasite infection was determined by ELISA and qPCR. Fifty specimens were confirmed to be An. coustani by the analysis of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2). Further, maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis of COI and ITS2 sequences revealed two distinct phylogenetic groups within this relatively small regional collection. Our findings indicate that both An. coustani groups have anthropophilic and exophagic habits and come into frequent contact with P. falciparum, suggesting that this potential alternative malaria vector might elude current vector controls in Northern Zambia and Southern DRC. This study sets the groundwork for more thorough investigations of bionomic characteristics and genetic diversity of An. coustani and its contribution to malaria transmission in these regions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Antonio-Nkondjio ◽  
Patricia Doumbe-Belisse ◽  
Landre Djamouko-Djonkam ◽  
Carmene Sandra Ngadjeu ◽  
Abdou Talipouo ◽  
...  

Abstract The rapid expansion of insecticide resistance and outdoor malaria transmission are affecting the efficacy of current malaria control measures. In urban settings, where malaria transmission is focal and breeding habitats are few, fix and findable, the addition of anti-larval control measures could be efficient for malaria vector control. But field evidences for this approach remains scarce. Here we provide findings of a randomized-control larviciding trial conducted in the city of Yaoundé that support the efficacy of this approach. A two arms random control trial design including 26 clusters of 2 to 4 km2 each (13 clusters in the intervention area and 13 in the non-intervention area) was used to assess larviciding efficacy. The microbial larvicide VectoMax®G combining Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis (Bti) and Bacillus sphaericus in a single granule was applied twice per month in all standing water collection points. The biting anopheline density collected using CDC light traps was used as the primary outcome, secondary outcomes included the entomological inoculation rate, breeding habitats with anopheline larvae, and larval density. Baseline entomological data collection was conducted for 17 months from March 2017 to July 2018 and the intervention lasted 26 months from September 2018 to November 2020. The intervention was associated with a reduction of over 85% of habitats with anopheline larvae. The application of the larvicide also resulted in a reduction of 68% of adult anopheline biting density and of 79% of the entomological inoculation rate (OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.14–0.30, P < 0.0001). A reduction of 68.27% was recorded for indoor biting anophelines and 57.74% for outdoor biting anophelines. No impact on the composition of anopheline species was recorded. A reduction of over 35% of adult Culex biting densities was recorded. The study also assessed the impact of the microbial larvicide on non-target organisms and registered no significant impact of the larvicide VectoMax on the aquatic microfauna diversity. The study indicated high efficacy of larviciding for reducing malaria transmission intensity in the city of Yaoundé. Larviciding could be part of an integrated control approach for controlling malaria vectors and other mosquito species in the urban environment.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
André SOMINAHOUIN ◽  
Germain Gil Padonou ◽  
Rodrigue Landéhou ◽  
Albert Sourou Salako ◽  
Hermann Sagbohan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Climate variability influence the diversity and abundance of malaria vectors and thereby on malaria transmission dynamics. Examine its effect on Anopheles parameters involved in transmission may predict the potential malaria hotspot as a right target for its control intervention strategies. Here, we investigated the influence of meteorological parameters on the aggressiveness and infectivity of Anopheles in two health districts zones where IRS has been extended in Northern Benin. Methods: Mosquito collections were carried out using human landing catches to evaluate rates of aggression and infectivity in twelve villages. Concomitantly, meteorological data from synoptic stations of Benin and neighbouring countries were collected in 2016-2017. Results: The spatial distribution of infective bites of An. gambiae is characterized by an intense aggression in the rural villages of the study area. Analysis of variances showed significant HBR difference according to the period but not according to the locality. However, the same analysis carried out with the infectivity rate shows no significant difference according to the period and the locality. In addition, the number of infective bites per man per month is higher in August and October, and the climatic parameters that have mainly favoured aggression are wind speed, humidity, sunshine and temperature. Indeed, the peak of wind speed is concentrated around 1.2 km / h and in September (5 km / h) whereas the aggressiveness score of Anopheles in the region is greater than 10 infective bites per man a year. Conclusion Malaria transmission by Anopheles is influenced by climatic factors. The climate observed in the districts where IRS was extended in northern Benin has a real impact on Anopheles density and weakens current and future vector control strategies. This could lead to a series of modifications observed in anopheline populations just after IRS implementation ranging from a tendency to exophagy, from a decrease in the rate of blood-feeding to changes in the time, and change in aggressiveness. These phenomena most likely contribute to the sustainability of malaria transmission despite vector control measures. Keywords: Infectivity, aggression, Climate, Anopheles gambiae ( s.l. ), IRS, Benin.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Antonio-Nkondjio ◽  
P. Doumbe-Belisse ◽  
L. Djamouko-Djonkam ◽  
C. S. Ngadjeu ◽  
A. Talipouo ◽  
...  

AbstractThe rapid expansion of insecticide resistance and outdoor malaria transmission are affecting the efficacy of current malaria control measures. In urban settings, where malaria transmission is focal and breeding habitats are few, fixed and findable, the addition of anti-larval control measures could be efficient for malaria vector control. But field evidences for this approach remains scarce. Here we provide findings of a randomized-control larviciding trial conducted in the city of Yaoundé that support the efficacy of this approach. A two arms random control trial design including 26 clusters of 2 to 4 km2 each (13 clusters in the intervention area and 13 in the non-intervention area) was used to assess larviciding efficacy. The microbial larvicide VectoMax combining Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis (Bti) and Bacillus sphaericus in a single granule was applied every 2 weeks in all standing water collection points. The anopheline density collected using CDC light traps was used as the primary outcome, secondary outcomes included the entomological inoculation rate, breeding habitats with anopheline larvae, and larval density. Baseline entomological data collection was conducted for 17 months from March 2017 to July 2018 and the intervention lasted 26 months from September 2018 to November 2020. The intervention was associated with a reduction of 68% of adult anopheline biting density and of 79% of the entomological inoculation rate (OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.14–0.30, P < 0.0001). A reduction of 68.27% was recorded for indoor biting anophelines and 57.74% for outdoor biting anophelines. No impact on the composition of anopheline species was recorded. A reduction of over 35% of adult Culex biting densities was recorded. The study indicated high efficacy of larviciding for reducing malaria transmission intensity in the city of Yaoundé. Larviciding could be part of an integrated control approach for controlling malaria vectors and other mosquito species in the urban environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Wagman ◽  
Kenyssony Varela ◽  
Rose Zulliger ◽  
Abuchahama Saifodine ◽  
Rodaly Muthoni ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The need to develop new products and novel approaches for malaria vector control is recognized as a global health priority. One approach to meeting this need has been the development of new products for indoor residual spraying (IRS) with novel active ingredients for public health. While initial results showing the impact of several of these next-generation IRS products have been encouraging, questions remain about how to best deploy them for maximum impact. To help address these questions, a 2-year cluster-randomized controlled trial to measure the impact of IRS with a microencapsulated formulation of pirimiphos-methyl (PM) in an area with high ownership of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) was conducted in a high-transmission district of central Mozambique with pyrethroid resistant vectors. Presented here are the results of the vector surveillance component of the trial. Methods The 2 year, two-armed trial was conducted in Mopeia District, Zambezia Province, Mozambique. In ten sentinel villages, five that received IRS with PM in October–November 2016 and again in October–November 2017 and five that received no IRS, indoor light trap collections and paired indoor-outdoor human landing collections catches (HLCs) were conducted monthly from September 2016 through October 2018. A universal coverage campaign in June 2017, just prior to the second spray round, distributed 131,540 standard alpha-cypermethrin LLINs across all study villages and increased overall net usage rates in children under 5 years old to over 90%. Results The primary malaria vector during the trial was Anopheles funestus sensu lato (s.l.), and standard World Health Organization (WHO) tube tests with this population indicated variable but increasing resistance to pyrethroids (including alpha-cypermethrin, from > 85% mortality in 2017 to 7% mortality in 2018) and uniform susceptibility to PM (100% mortality in both years). Over the entire duration of the study, IRS reduced An. funestus s.l. densities by 48% (CI95 33–59%; p < 0.001) in indoor light traps and by 74% (CI95 38–90%; p = 0.010) during indoor and outdoor HLC, though in each study year reductions in vector density were consistently greatest in those months immediately following the IRS campaigns and waned over time. Overall there was no strong preference for An. funestus to feed indoors or outdoors, and these biting behaviours did not differ significantly across study arms: observed indoor-outdoor biting ratios were 1.10 (CI95 1.00–1.21) in no-IRS villages and 0.88 (CI95 0.67–1.15) in IRS villages. The impact of IRS was consistent in reducing HLC exposures both indoors (75% reduction: CI95 47–88%; p = 0. < 0.001) and outdoors (68% reduction: CI95 22–87%; p = 0.012). While substantially fewer Anopheles gambiae s.l. were collected during the study, trends show a similar impact of IRS on this key vector group as well, with a 33% (CI95 7–53%; p = 0.019) reduction in mosquitoes collected in light traps and a non-statistically significant 39% reduction (p = 0.249) in HLC landing rates. Conclusion IRS with PM used in addition to pyrethroid-only LLINs substantially reduced human exposures to malaria vectors during both years of the cluster-randomized controlled trial in Mopeia—a high-burden district where the primary vector, An. funestus s.l., was equally likely to feed indoors or outdoors and demonstrated increasing resistance to pyrethroids. Findings suggest that IRS with PM can provide effective vector control, including in some settings where pyrethroid-only ITNs are widely used. Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov, NCT02910934. Registered 22 September 2016, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02910934.


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