| effect of incentives on insecticide-treated bed net use in sub-saharan africa: a cluster randomized trial in madagascar. | insecticide-treated bed nets (itns) have been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality due to malaria in sub-saharan africa. strategies using incentives to increase itn use could be more efficient than traditional distribution campaigns. to date, behavioural incentives have been studied mostly in developed countries. no study has yet looked at the effect of incentives on the use of itns. reported here are the results of a cluster randomized controlled trial testing household-level incentives for ... | 2010 | 20579392 |
| sleeping arrangement and house structure affect bed net use in villages along lake victoria. | although insecticide-treated bed nets are effective tools, use often does not follow ownership. house structure and space arrangements may make the attempt to use bed nets difficult, especially for school age children. the objectives of this study were to explore whether an individual's sleeping arrangements and house structure affect bed net use in villages along lake victoria in western kenya. | 2010 | 20569459 |
| predicting the impact of insecticide-treated bed nets on malaria transmission: the devil is in the detail. | insecticide-treated bed nets (itns), including long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins), play a primary role in global campaigns to roll back malaria in tropical africa. effectiveness of treated nets depends on direct impacts on individual mosquitoes including killing and excite-repellency, which vary considerably among vector species due to variations in host-seeking behaviours. while monitoring and evaluation programmes of itns have focuses on morbidity and all-cause mortality in humans, local e ... | 2009 | 19917119 |
| mitochondrial pseudogenes in the nuclear genome of aedes aegypti mosquitoes: implications for past and future population genetic studies. | mitochondrial dna (mtdna) is widely used in population genetic and phylogenetic studies in animals. however, such studies can generate misleading results if the species concerned contain nuclear copies of mtdna (numts) as these may amplify in addition to, or even instead of, the authentic target mtdna. the aim of this study was to determine if numts are present in aedes aegypti mosquitoes, to characterise any numts detected, and to assess the utility of using mtdna for population genetics studie ... | 2009 | 19267896 |
| household possession, use and non-use of treated or untreated mosquito nets in two ecologically diverse regions of nigeria--niger delta and sahel savannah. | current use of treated mosquito nets for the prevention of malaria falls short of what is expected in sub-saharan africa (ssa), though research within the continent has indicated that the use of these commodities can reduce malaria morbidity by 50% and malaria mortality by 20%. governments in sub-sahara africa are investing substantially in scaling-up treated mosquito net coverage for impact. however, certain significant factors still prevent the use of the treated mosquito nets, even among thos ... | 2009 | 19228422 |
| revisiting the impact of inversions in evolution: from population genetic markers to drivers of adaptive shifts and speciation? | there is a growing appreciation that chromosome inversions affect rates of adaptation, speciation, and the evolution of sex chromosomes. comparative genomic studies have identified many new paracentric inversion polymorphisms. population models suggest that inversions can spread by reducing recombination between alleles that independently increase fitness, without epistasis or coadaptation. areas of linkage disequilibrium extend across large inversions but may be interspersed by areas with littl ... | 0 | 20419035 |
| integrated vector management: the zambian experience. | the zambian malaria control programme with the roll back malaria (rbm) partners have developed the current national malaria strategic plan (nmsp 2006-2011) which focuses on prevention based on the integrated vector management (ivm) strategy. the introduction and implementation of an ivm strategy was planned in accordance with the world health organization (who) steps towards ivm implementation namely introduction phase, consolidation phase and expansion phase. | 2008 | 18752658 |
| unforeseen misuses of bed nets in fishing villages along lake victoria. | to combat malaria, the kenya ministry of health and nongovernmental organizations (ngos) have distributed insecticide-treated nets (itns) for use over beds, with coverage for children under five years of age increasing rapidly. nevertheless, residents of fishing villages have started to use these bed nets for drying fish and fishing in lake victoria. this study investigated the extent of bed net misuse in fishing villages. | 2008 | 18752662 |
| markets, voucher subsidies and free nets combine to achieve high bed net coverage in rural tanzania. | tanzania has a well-developed network of commercial itn retailers. in 2004, the government introduced a voucher subsidy for pregnant women and, in mid 2005, helped distribute free nets to under-fives in small number of districts, including rufiji on the southern coast, during a child health campaign. contributions of these multiple insecticide-treated net delivery strategies existing at the same time and place to coverage in a poor rural community were assessed. | 2008 | 18518956 |
| cost-sharing strategies combining targeted public subsidies with private-sector delivery achieve high bednet coverage and reduced malaria transmission in kilombero valley, southern tanzania. | cost-sharing schemes incorporating modest targeted subsidies have promoted insecticide-treated nets (itns) for malaria prevention in the kilombero valley, southern tanzania, since 1996. here we evaluate resulting changes in bednet coverage and malaria transmission. | 2007 | 17961211 |
| impact of mosquito gene drive on malaria elimination in a computational model with explicit spatial and temporal dynamics. | the renewed effort to eliminate malaria and permanently remove its tremendous burden highlights questions of what combination of tools would be sufficient in various settings and what new tools need to be developed. gene drive mosquitoes constitute a promising set of tools, with multiple different possible approaches including population replacement with introduced genes limiting malaria transmission, driving-y chromosomes to collapse a mosquito population, and gene drive disrupting a fertility ... | 2016 | 28028208 |
| patterns and determinants of malaria risk in urban and peri-urban areas of blantyre, malawi. | although malaria disease in urban and peri-urban areas of sub-saharan africa is a growing concern, the epidemiologic patterns and drivers of transmission in these settings remain poorly understood. factors associated with variation in malaria risk in urban and peri-urban areas were evaluated in this study. | 2016 | 27931234 |
| susceptibility of anopheles gambiae to insecticides used for malaria vector control in rwanda. | the widespread emergence of resistance to pyrethroids is a major threat to the gains made in malaria control. to monitor the presence and possible emergence of resistance against a variety of insecticides used for malaria control in rwanda, nationwide insecticide resistance surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2013. | 2016 | 27905919 |
| malaria elimination campaigns in the lake kariba region of zambia: a spatial dynamical model. | as more regions approach malaria elimination, understanding how different interventions interact to reduce transmission becomes critical. the lake kariba area of southern province, zambia, is part of a multi-country elimination effort and presents a particular challenge as it is an interconnected region of variable transmission intensities. in 2012-13, six rounds of mass test-and-treat drug campaigns were carried out in the lake kariba region. a spatial dynamical model of malaria transmission in ... | 2016 | 27880764 |
| increasing insecticide resistance in anopheles funestus and anopheles arabiensis in malawi, 2011-2015. | susceptibility of principal anopheles malaria vectors to common insecticides was monitored over a 5-year period across malawi to inform and guide the national malaria control programme. | 2016 | 27876046 |
| studies on mosquito biting risk among migratory rice farmers in rural south-eastern tanzania and development of a portable mosquito-proof hut. | subsistence rice farmers in south-eastern tanzania are often migratory, spending weeks or months tending to crops in distant fields along the river valleys and living in improvised structures known as shamba huts, not fully protected from mosquitoes. these farmers also experience poor access to organized preventive and curative services due to long distances. mosquito biting exposure in these rice fields, relative to main village residences was assessed, then a portable mosquito-proof hut was de ... | 2016 | 27876050 |
| high prevalence of plasmodium falciparum gametocyte infections in school-age children using molecular detection: patterns and predictors of risk from a cross-sectional study in southern malawi. | in endemic areas, many people experience asymptomatic plasmodium infections, particularly older children and adults, but their transmission contribution is unknown. though not the exclusive determinant of infectiousness, transmission from humans to mosquitoes requires blood meals containing gametocytes. gametocytes often occur at submicroscopic densities, challenging measurement in human populations. more sensitive molecular techniques allow better characterization of gametocyte epidemiologic pa ... | 2016 | 27809907 |
| communication for behavioural impact in enhancing utilization of insecticide-treated bed nets among mothers of under-five children in rural north sudan: an experimental study. | malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in sudan. the entire population is at risk of contracting malaria to different levels. this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of communication for behavioural impact (combi) strategy in enhancing the utilization of long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) among mothers of under-five children in rural areas. | 2016 | 27756314 |
| malaria and large dams in sub-saharan africa: future impacts in a changing climate. | sub-saharan africa (ssa) has embarked on a new era of dam building to improve food security and promote economic development. nonetheless, the future impacts of dams on malaria transmission are poorly understood and seldom investigated in the context of climate and demographic change. | 2016 | 27592590 |
| eave tubes for malaria control in africa: initial development and semi-field evaluations in tanzania. | presented here are a series of preliminary experiments evaluating "eave tubes"-a technology that combines house screening with a novel method of delivering insecticides for control of malaria mosquitoes. | 2016 | 27586055 |
| the impact of pyrethroid resistance on the efficacy and effectiveness of bednets for malaria control in africa. | long lasting pyrethroid treated bednets are the most important tool for preventing malaria. pyrethroid resistant anopheline mosquitoes are now ubiquitous in africa, though the public health impact remains unclear, impeding the deployment of more expensive nets. meta-analyses of bioassay studies and experimental hut trials are used to characterise how pyrethroid resistance changes the efficacy of standard bednets, and those containing the synergist piperonyl butoxide (pbo), and assess its impact ... | 2016 | 27547988 |
| towards malaria elimination in the mosaswa (mozambique, south africa and swaziland) region. | the substantial impact of cross-border collaborative control efforts on the burden of malaria in southern africa has previously been demonstrated through the successes of the lubombo spatial development initiative. increases in malaria cases recorded in the three partner countries (mozambique, south africa, swaziland) since termination of that programme in 2011 have provided impetus for the resuscitation of cooperation in the form of the mosaswa malaria initiative. mosaswa, launched in 2015, see ... | 2016 | 27538990 |
| insecticide-treated net campaign and malaria transmission in western kenya: 2003-2015. | insecticide-treated nets (itns) are among the three major intervention measures that have reduced malaria transmission in the past decade. however, increased insecticide resistance in vectors, together with outdoor transmission, has limited the efficacy of the itn scaling-up efforts. observations on longitudinal changes in itn coverage and its impact on malaria transmission allow policy makers to make informed adjustments to control strategies. we analyzed field surveys on itn ownership, malaria ... | 2016 | 27574601 |
| modelling the influence of temperature and rainfall on the population dynamics of anopheles arabiensis. | malaria continues to be one of the most devastating diseases in the world, killing more humans than any other infectious disease. malaria parasites are entirely dependent on anopheles mosquitoes for transmission. for this reason, vector population dynamics is a crucial determinant of malaria risk. consequently, it is important to understand the biology of malaria vector mosquitoes in the study of malaria transmission. temperature and precipitation also play a significant role in both aquatic and ... | 2016 | 27421769 |
| outdoor-sleeping and other night-time activities in northern ghana: implications for residual transmission and malaria prevention. | despite targeted indoor residual spraying (irs) over a six-year period and free mass distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (itns), malaria rates in northern ghana remain high. outdoor sleeping and other night-time social, cultural and economic activities that increase exposure to infective mosquito bites are possible contributors. this study was designed to document these phenomena through direct observation, and to explore the context in which they occur. | 2015 | 25627277 |
| serological markers for monitoring historical changes in malaria transmission intensity in a highly endemic region of western kenya, 1994-2009. | monitoring local malaria transmission intensity is essential for planning evidence-based control strategies and evaluating their impact over time. anti-malarial antibodies provide information on cumulative exposure and have proven useful, in areas where transmission has dropped to low sustained levels, for retrospectively reconstructing the timing and magnitude of transmission reduction. it is unclear whether serological markers are also informative in high transmission settings, where intervent ... | 2014 | 25416454 |
| namibia's path toward malaria elimination: a case study of malaria strategies and costs along the northern border. | low malaria transmission in namibia suggests that elimination is possible, but the risk of imported malaria from angola remains a challenge. this case study reviews the early transition of a program shift from malaria control to elimination in three northern regions of namibia that comprise the trans-kunene malaria initiative (tkmi): kunene, omusati, and ohangwena. | 2014 | 25409682 |
| multisensor earth observations to characterize wetlands and malaria epidemiology in ethiopia. | malaria is a major global public health problem, particularly in sub-saharan africa. the spatial heterogeneity of malaria can be affected by factors such as hydrological processes, physiography, and land cover patterns. tropical wetlands, for example, are important hydrological features that can serve as mosquito breeding habitats. mapping and monitoring of wetlands using satellite remote sensing can thus help to target interventions aimed at reducing malaria transmission. the objective of this ... | 2014 | 25653462 |
| high-resolution melting analysis reveals low plasmodium parasitaemia infections among microscopically negative febrile patients in western kenya. | microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (rdts) are common tools for diagnosing malaria, but are deficient in detecting low plasmodium parasitaemia. a novel molecular diagnostic tool (npcr-hrm) that combines the sensitivity and specificity of nested pcr (npcr) and direct pcr-high resolution melting analysis (dpcr-hrm) was developed. to evaluate patterns of anti-malarial drug administration when no parasites are detected, npcr-hrm was employed to screen blood samples for low parasitaemia from febril ... | 2014 | 25399409 |
| the behaviour of mosquitoes in relation to humans under holed bednets: the evidence from experimental huts. | the physical integrity of bednets is a concern of national malaria control programs, as it is a key factor in determining the rate of replacement of bednets. it is largely assumed that increased numbers of holes will result in a loss of protection of sleepers from potentially infective bites. experimental hut studies are valuable in understanding mosquito behaviour indoors, particularly as it relates to blood feeding and mortality. this review summarises findings from experimental hut studies, f ... | 0 | 25410994 |
| clinical malaria case definition and malaria attributable fraction in the highlands of western kenya. | in african highland areas where endemicity of malaria varies greatly according to altitude and topography, parasitaemia accompanied by fever may not be sufficient to define an episode of clinical malaria in endemic areas. to evaluate the effectiveness of malaria interventions, age-specific case definitions of clinical malaria needs to be determined. cases of clinical malaria through active case surveillance were quantified in a highland area in kenya and defined clinical malaria for different ag ... | 2014 | 25318705 |
| evaluation of universal coverage of insecticide-treated nets in western kenya: field surveys. | mass distribution of insecticide-treated nets (itns) is a cost-effective way to achieve universal coverage, but maintaining this coverage is more difficult. in addition to commonly used indicators, evaluation of universal coverage should include coverage of effective nets and changes in coverage over time. | 2014 | 25187326 |
| persistently high estimates of late night, indoor exposure to malaria vectors despite high coverage of insecticide treated nets. | it has been speculated that widespread and sustained use of insecticide treated bed nets (itns) for over 10 years in asembo, western kenya, may have selected for changes in the location (indoor versus outdoor) and time (from late night to earlier in the evening) of biting of the predominant species of human malaria vectors (anopheles funestus, anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, and anopheles arabiensis). | 2014 | 25141761 |
| preventive effect of permethrin-impregnated long-lasting insecticidal nets on the blood feeding of three major pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors in western kenya. | since the world health organization (who) adopted the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) as a principal strategy for effective malaria prevention and control, pyrethroids have been the only class of insecticides used for llins. the dramatic success of insecticide-treated nets (itns) and llins in african countries, however, has been threatened by the rapid development of pyrethroid resistance in vector mosquitoes. itns and llins are still used as effective self-protection measures, but ... | 2014 | 25141947 |
| evaluation of textile substrates for dispensing synthetic attractants for malaria mosquitoes. | the full-scale impact of odour-baited technology on the surveillance, sampling and control of vectors of infectious diseases is partly limited by the lack of methods for the efficient and sustainable dispensing of attractants. in this study we investigated whether locally-available and commonly used textiles are efficient substrates for the release of synthetic odorant blends attracting malaria mosquitoes. | 2014 | 25129505 |
| adherence to artemether-lumefantrine drug combination: a rural community experience six years after change of malaria treatment policy in tanzania. | adherence to multidosing is challenging worldwide. this study assessed the extent of adherence to multidosing artemether-lumefantrine (alu) in a rural community in tanzania, six years after switching from single dose policy of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine. | 2014 | 25011682 |
| ecological niche and potential distribution of anopheles arabiensis in africa in 2050. | the future distribution of malaria in africa is likely to be much more dependent on environmental conditions than the current distribution due to the effectiveness of indoor and therapeutic anti-malarial interventions, such as insecticide-treated nets (itns), indoor residual spraying for mosquitoes (irs), artemisinin-combination therapy (act), and intermittent presumptive treatment (ipt). future malaria epidemiology is therefore expected to be increasingly dominated by anopheles arabiensis, whic ... | 2014 | 24888886 |
| ex vivo anti-malarial drugs sensitivity profile of plasmodium falciparum field isolates from burkina faso five years after the national policy change. | the recent reports on the decreasing susceptibility of plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin derivatives along the thailand and myanmar border are worrying. indeed it may spread to india and then africa, repeating the same pattern observed for chloroquine resistance. therefore, it is essential to start monitoring p. falciparum sensitivity to artemisinin derivatives and its partner drugs in africa. efficacy of al and asaq were tested by carrying out an in vivo drug efficacy test, with an ex vivo s ... | 2014 | 24885950 |
| acceptance of illness and satisfaction with life among malaria patients in rivers state, nigeria. | health condition is one of the basic factors affecting satisfaction with life, and the level of illness acceptance. the purpose of the study was to analyse the level of illness acceptance, the level of satisfaction with life among malaria patients, and the level of trust placed in the physician and the nurse. | 2014 | 24885562 |
| insecticidal and repellent activities of pyrethroids to the three major pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors in western kenya. | the dramatic success of insecticide treated nets (itns) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) in african countries has been countered by the rapid development of pyrethroid resistance in vector mosquitoes over the past decade. one advantage of the use of pyrethroids in itns is their excito-repellency. use of the excito-repellency of pyrethroids might be biorational, since such repellency will not induce or delay the development of any physiological resistance. however, little is known about ... | 2014 | 24885499 |
| effective autodissemination of pyriproxyfen to breeding sites by the exophilic malaria vector anopheles arabiensis in semi-field settings in tanzania. | malaria vector control strategies that target adult female mosquitoes are challenged by the emergence of insecticide resistance and behavioural resilience. conventional larviciding is restricted by high operational costs and inadequate knowledge of mosquito-breeding habitats in rural settings that might be overcome by the juvenile hormone analogue, pyriproxyfen (ppf). this study assessed the potential for anopheles arabiensis to pick up and transfer lethal doses of ppf from contamination sites t ... | 2014 | 24779515 |
| molasses as a source of carbon dioxide for attracting the malaria mosquitoes anopheles gambiae and anopheles funestus. | most odour baits for haematophagous arthropods contain carbon dioxide (co2). the co2 is sourced artificially from the fermentation of refined sugar (sucrose), dry ice, pressurized gas cylinders or propane. these sources of co2 are neither cost-effective nor sustainable for use in remote areas of sub-saharan africa. in this study, molasses was evaluated as a potential substrate for producing co2 used as bait for malaria mosquitoes. | 2014 | 24767543 |
| high burden of malaria following scale-up of control interventions in nchelenge district, luapula province, zambia. | malaria control interventions have been scaled-up in zambia in conjunction with a malaria surveillance system. although substantial progress has been achieved in reducing morbidity and mortality, national and local information demonstrated marked heterogeneity in the impact of malaria control across the country. this study reports the high burden of malaria in nchelenge district, luapula province, zambia from 2006 to 2012 after seven years of control measures. | 2014 | 24755108 |
| estimating the annual entomological inoculation rate for plasmodium falciparum transmitted by anopheles gambiae s.l. using three sampling methods in three sites in uganda. | the plasmodium falciparum entomological inoculation rate (pfeir) is a measure of exposure to infectious mosquitoes. it is usually interpreted as the number of p. falciparum infective bites received by an individual during a season or annually (apfeir). in an area of perennial transmission, the accuracy, precision and seasonal distribution (i.e., month by month) of apfeir were investigated. data were drawn from three sites in uganda with differing levels of transmission where falciparum malaria i ... | 2014 | 24656206 |
| long-lasting control of anopheles arabiensis by a single spray application of micro-encapsulated pirimiphos-methyl (actellic® 300 cs). | pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes are an increasing threat to malaria vector control. the global plan for insecticide resistance management (gpirm) recommends rotation of non-pyrethroid insecticides for indoor residual spraying (irs). the options from other classes are limited. the carbamate bendiocarb and the organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl (p-methyl) emulsifiable concentrate (ec) have a short residual duration of action, resulting in increased costs due to multiple spray cycles, and user fatig ... | 2014 | 24476070 |
| push by a net, pull by a cow: can zooprophylaxis enhance the impact of insecticide treated bed nets on malaria control? | mass insecticide treated bed net (itn) deployment, and its associated coverage of populations at risk, had "pushed" a decline in malaria transmission. however, it is unknown whether malaria control is being enhanced by zooprophylaxis, i.e., mosquitoes diverted to feed on hosts different from humans, a phenomenon that could further reduce malaria entomological transmission risk in areas where livestock herding is common. | 2014 | 24472517 |
| insecticide resistance mechanisms associated with different environments in the malaria vector anopheles gambiae: a case study in tanzania. | resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides is a growing concern in africa. since only a few insecticides are used for public health and limited development of new molecules is expected in the next decade, maintaining the efficacy of control programmes mostly relies on resistance management strategies. developing such strategies requires a deep understanding of factors influencing resistance together with characterizing the mechanisms involved. among factors likely to influence insecticide resistan ... | 2014 | 24460952 |
| needs for monitoring mosquito transmission of malaria in a pre-elimination world. | as global efforts to eliminate malaria intensify, accurate information on vector populations and transmission dynamics is critical for directing control efforts, developing new control tools, and predicting the effects of these interventions under various conditions. currently available sampling tools for mosquito population monitoring suffer from well-recognized limitations. as reported in this workshop summary, a recent gathering of medical entomologists, modelers, and malaria experts reviewed ... | 2013 | 24277786 |
| clinical signs and symptoms cannot reliably predict plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in pregnant women living in an area of high seasonal transmission. | malaria in pregnancy is a major public health problem in endemic countries. though the signs and symptoms of malaria among pregnant women have been already described, clinical presentation may vary according to intensity of transmission and local perceptions. therefore, determining common signs and symptoms among pregnant women with a malaria infection may be extremely useful to identify those in need of further investigation by rapid diagnostic test or microscopy. | 2013 | 24373481 |
| selection for chloroquine-sensitive plasmodium falciparum by wild anopheles arabiensis in southern zambia. | the emergence of parasite drug resistance, especially plasmodium falciparum, persists as a major obstacle for malaria control and elimination. to develop effective public health containment strategies, a clear understanding of factors that govern the emergence and spread of resistant parasites in the field is important. the current study documents selection for chloroquine-sensitive malaria parasites by wild anopheles arabiensis in southern zambia. | 2013 | 24354640 |
| the changing burden of malaria and association with vector control interventions in zambia using district-level surveillance data, 2006-2011. | malaria control was strengthened in zambia over the past decade. the two primary interventions for vector control are indoor residual spraying (irs) and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (llins). using passive malaria surveillance data collected from 2006 to 2011 through the zambian district health information system, the associations between increased coverage with llins and irs and the burden of malaria in zambia were evaluated. | 2013 | 24289177 |
| dynamics of malaria transmission and susceptibility to clinical malaria episodes following treatment of plasmodium falciparum asymptomatic carriers: results of a cluster-randomized study of community-wide screening and treatment, and a parallel entomology study. | in malaria-endemic countries, large proportions of individuals infected with plasmodium falciparum are asymptomatic and constitute a reservoir of parasites for infection of newly hatched mosquitoes. | 2013 | 24215306 |
| elevated dry-season malaria prevalence associated with fine-scale spatial patterns of environmental risk: a case-control study of children in rural malawi. | understanding the role of local environmental risk factors for malaria in holo-endemic, poverty-stricken settings will be critical to more effectively implement- interventions aimed at eventual elimination. household-level environmental drivers of malaria risk during the dry season were investigated in rural southern malawi among children < five years old in two neighbouring rural traditional authority (ta) regions dominated by small-scale agriculture. | 2013 | 24206777 |
| the efficacy of long-lasting nets with declining physical integrity may be compromised in areas with high levels of pyrethroid resistance. | long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (llins) are a primary malaria prevention strategy in sub-saharan africa. however, emergence of insecticide resistance threatens the effectiveness of llins. | 2013 | 24156715 |
| a sticky situation: the unexpected stability of malaria elimination. | malaria eradication involves eliminating malaria from every country where transmission occurs. current theory suggests that the post-elimination challenges of remaining malaria-free by stopping transmission from imported malaria will have onerous operational and financial requirements. although resurgent malaria has occurred in a majority of countries that tried but failed to eliminate malaria, a review of resurgence in countries that successfully eliminated finds only four such failures out of ... | 2013 | 23798693 |
| modest additive effects of integrated vector control measures on malaria prevalence and transmission in western kenya. | the effect of integrating vector larval intervention on malaria transmission is unknown when insecticide-treated bed-net (itn) coverage is very high, and the optimal indicator for intervention evaluation needs to be determined when transmission is low. | 2013 | 23870708 |
| changes in the burden of malaria following scale up of malaria control interventions in mutasa district, zimbabwe. | to better understand trends in the burden of malaria and their temporal relationship to control activities, a survey was conducted to assess reported cases of malaria and malaria control activities in mutasa district, zimbabwe. | 2013 | 23815862 |
| using a new odour-baited device to explore options for luring and killing outdoor-biting malaria vectors: a report on design and field evaluation of the mosquito landing box. | mosquitoes that bite people outdoors can sustain malaria transmission even where effective indoor interventions such as bednets or indoor residual spraying are already widely used. outdoor tools may therefore complement current indoor measures and improve control. we developed and evaluated a prototype mosquito control device, the 'mosquito landing box' (mlb), which is baited with human odours and treated with mosquitocidal agents. the findings are used to explore technical options and challenge ... | 2013 | 23642306 |
| stable and fluctuating temperature effects on the development rate and survival of two malaria vectors, anopheles arabiensis and anopheles funestus. | understanding the biology of malaria vector mosquitoes is crucial to understanding many aspects of the disease, including control and future outcomes. the development rates and survival of two afrotropical malaria vectors, anopheles arabiensis and anopheles funestus, are investigated here under conditions of constant and fluctuating temperatures. these data can provide a good starting point for modelling population level consequences of temperature change associated with climate change. for comp ... | 2013 | 23590860 |
| the impact of host species and vector control measures on the fitness of african malaria vectors. | many malaria vector mosquitoes in africa have an extreme preference for feeding on humans. this specialization allows them to sustain much higher levels of transmission than elsewhere, but there is little understanding of the evolutionary forces that drive this behaviour. in tanzania, we used a semi-field system to test whether the well-documented preferences of the vectors, anopheles arabiensis and anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) for cattle and humans, respectively, are predicted by the ... | 2013 | 23303548 |
| identifying permethrin resistance loci in malaria vectors by genetic mapping. | identification of the major loci responsible for insecticide resistance in malaria vectors would aid the development and implementation of effective resistance management strategies, which are urgently needed to tackle the growing threat posed by resistance to the limited insecticides available for malaria control. genome-wide association studies in the major malaria vector, anopheles gambiae, have been hindered by the high degree of within-population structuring and very low levels of linkage d ... | 2013 | 23448678 |
| crowdsourcing vector surveillance: using community knowledge and experiences to predict densities and distribution of outdoor-biting mosquitoes in rural tanzania. | lack of reliable techniques for large-scale monitoring of disease-transmitting mosquitoes is a major public health challenge, especially where advanced geo-information systems are not regularly applicable. we tested an innovative crowd-sourcing approach, which relies simply on knowledge and experiences of residents to rapidly predict areas where disease-transmitting mosquitoes are most abundant. guided by community-based resource persons, we mapped boundaries and major physical features in three ... | 2016 | 27253869 |
| the epidemiology of residual plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission and infection burden in an african city with high coverage of multiple vector control measures. | in the tanzanian city of dar es salaam, high coverage of long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins), larvicide application (la) and mosquito-proofed housing, was complemented with improved access to artemisinin-based combination therapy and rapid diagnostic tests by the end of 2012. | 2016 | 27216734 |
| knowledge and awareness of malaria and mosquito biting behaviour in selected sites within morogoro and dodoma regions tanzania. | in tanzania there has been a downward trend in malaria prevalence partly due to use of insecticide-treated bed nets for protection against anopheles mosquitoes. however, residual malaria transmission attributed to early biting behaviour of malaria vectors is being reported. knowledge of mosquito feeding behaviour is key to improvements in control approaches. the present study aimed to assess knowledge and awareness on malaria and malaria vectors in-morogoro and dodoma regions of tanzania. | 2016 | 27216605 |
| benchmarking vector arthropod culture: an example using the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae). | numerous important characteristics of adult arthropods are related to their size; this is influenced by conditions experienced as immatures. arthropods cultured in the laboratory for research, or mass-reared for novel control methods, must therefore be of a standard size range and known quality so that results are reproducible. | 2016 | 27160438 |
| plasmodium falciparum malaria parasitaemia among indigenous batwa and non-indigenous communities of kanungu district, uganda. | the indigenous batwa of southwestern uganda are among the most highly impoverished populations in uganda, yet there is negligible research on the prevalence of malaria in this population. plasmodium falciparum malaria parasitaemia prevalence was estimated in an indigenous batwa and a non-indigenous neighbouring population, and an exploration of modifiable risk factors was carried out to identify potential entry points for intervention. additionally, evidence of zooprophylaxis was assessed, hypot ... | 2016 | 27146298 |
| correlations between household occupancy and malaria vector biting risk in rural tanzanian villages: implications for high-resolution spatial targeting of control interventions. | fine-scale targeting of interventions is increasingly important where epidemiological disease profiles depict high geographical stratifications. this study verified correlations between household biomass and mosquito house-entry using experimental hut studies, and then demonstrated how geographical foci of mosquito biting risk can be readily identified based on spatial distributions of household occupancies in villages. | 2016 | 27067147 |
| reduction in malaria incidence following indoor residual spraying with actellic 300 cs in a setting with pyrethroid resistance: mutasa district, zimbabwe. | more than half of malaria cases in zimbabwe are concentrated in manicaland province, where seasonal malaria epidemics occur despite intensified control strategies. recently, high levels of pyrethroid and carbamate resistance were detected in anopheles funestus, the major malaria vector in eastern zimbabwe. in response, a single round of indoor residual spraying (irs) using pirimiphos-methyl (an organophosphate) was implemented in four high burden districts of manicaland province from november 1, ... | 2016 | 27018893 |
| comparative performance of three experimental hut designs for measuring malaria vector responses to insecticides in tanzania. | experimental huts are simplified, standardized representations of human habitations that provide model systems to evaluate insecticides used in indoor residual spray (irs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) to kill disease vectors. hut volume, construction materials and size of entry points impact mosquito entry and exposure to insecticides. the performance of three standard experimental hut designs was compared to evaluate insecticide used in llins. | 2016 | 26979404 |
| the role of oxidative stress in the longevity and insecticide resistance phenotype of the major malaria vectors anopheles arabiensis and anopheles funestus. | oxidative stress plays numerous biological roles, both functional and pathological. the role of oxidative stress in various epidemiologically relevant biological traits in anopheles mosquitoes is not well established. in this study, the effects of oxidative stress on the longevity and insecticide resistance phenotype in the major malaria vector species an. arabiensis and an. funestus were examined. responses to dietary copper sulphate and hydrogen peroxide were used as proxies for the oxidative ... | 2016 | 26964046 |
| evaluation of discovar de novo using a mosquito sample for cost-effective short-read genome assembly. | de novo reference assemblies that are affordable, practical to produce, and of sufficient quality for most downstream applications, remain an unattained goal for many taxa. insects, which may yield too little dna from individual specimens for long-read sequencing library construction and often have highly heterozygous genomes, can be particularly hard to assemble using inexpensive short-read sequencing data. the large number of insect species with medical or economic importance makes this a crit ... | 2016 | 26944054 |
| spatially aggregated clusters and scattered smaller loci of elevated malaria vector density and human infection prevalence in urban dar es salaam, tanzania. | malaria transmission, primarily mediated by anopheles gambiae, persists in dar es salaam (dsm) despite high coverage with bed nets, mosquito-proofed housing and larviciding. new or improved vector control strategies are required to eliminate malaria from dsm, but these will only succeed if they are delivered to the minority of locations where residual transmission actually persists. hotspots of spatially clustered locations with elevated malaria infection prevalence or vector densities were, the ... | 2016 | 26931372 |
| malaria vectors and their blood-meal sources in an area of high bed net ownership in the western kenya highlands. | blood-meal sources of malaria vectors affect their capacity to transmit the disease. most efficient malaria vectors prefer human hosts. however, with increasing personal protection measures it becomes more difficult for them to find human hosts. here recent malaria vector blood-meal sources in western kenya highlands were investigated. | 2016 | 26857915 |
| combining synthetic human odours and low-cost electrocuting grids to attract and kill outdoor-biting mosquitoes: field and semi-field evaluation of an improved mosquito landing box. | on-going malaria transmission is increasingly mediated by outdoor-biting vectors, especially where indoor insecticidal interventions such as long-lasting insecticide treated nets (llins) are widespread. often, the vectors are also physiologically resistant to insecticides, presenting major obstacles for elimination. we tested a combination of electrocuting grids with synthetic odours as an alternative killing mechanism against outdoor-biting mosquitoes. | 2016 | 26789733 |
| the effect of indoor residual spraying on the prevalence of malaria parasite infection, clinical malaria and anemia in an area of perennial transmission and moderate coverage of insecticide treated nets in western kenya. | insecticide treated nets (itns) and indoor residual spraying (irs) have been scaled up for malaria prevention in sub-saharan africa. however, there are few studies on the benefit of implementing irs in areas with moderate to high coverage of itns. we evaluated the impact of an irs program on malaria related outcomes in western kenya, an area of intense perennial malaria transmission and moderate itn coverage (55-65% use of any net the previous night). | 2016 | 26731524 |
| spatially variable risk factors for malaria in a geographically heterogeneous landscape, western kenya: an explorative study. | large reductions in malaria transmission and mortality have been achieved over the last decade, and this has mainly been attributed to the scale-up of long-lasting insecticidal bed nets and indoor residual spraying with insecticides. despite these gains considerable residual, spatially heterogeneous, transmission remains. to reduce transmission in these foci, researchers need to consider the local demographical, environmental and social context, and design an appropriate set of interventions. ex ... | 2016 | 26729363 |
| development and evaluation of mosquito-electrocuting traps as alternatives to the human landing catch technique for sampling host-seeking malaria vectors. | the human landing catch (hlc) is the gold standard method for sampling host-seeking malaria vectors. however, the hlc is ethically questionable because it requires exposure of humans to potentially infectious mosquito bites. | 2015 | 26670881 |
| acceptability and effectiveness of a monofilament, polyethylene insecticide-treated wall lining for malaria control after six months in dwellings in vhembe district, limpopo province, south africa. | south africa uses indoor residual spraying (irs) for vector control in its malaria control programme (mcp). insecticide-treated wall linings (itwls) offer possible advantages over irs and long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets (llins). this study assessed the user acceptability and perceived effectiveness, and the durability, including efficacy through bioassays, of a newly developed, monofilament polyethylene itwl. | 2015 | 26628275 |
| use of different transmission metrics to describe malaria epidemiology in the highlands of western kenya. | monitoring and evaluation of malaria programmes may require a combination of approaches to detect any effects of control. this is particularly true at lower transmission levels where detecting both infection and exposure to infection will provide additional evidence of any change. this paper describes use of three transmission metrics to explore the malaria epidemiology in the highlands of western kenya. | 2015 | 26502920 |
| comparative evaluation of the sticky-resting-box-trap, the standardised resting-bucket-trap and indoor aspiration for sampling malaria vectors. | understanding mosquito resting behaviour is important for the control of vector-borne diseases, but this remains a challenge because of the paucity of efficient sampling tools. we evaluated two novel sampling methods in the field: the sticky resting box (srb) and the resting bucket trap (rbu) to test their efficiency for sampling malaria vectors resting outdoors and inside houses in rural tanzania. the performance of rbu and srb was compared outdoors, while indoors srb were compared with the bac ... | 2015 | 26383620 |
| prevalence of the dhfr and dhps mutations among pregnant women in rural burkina faso five years after the introduction of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. | the emergence and spread of drug resistance represents one of the biggest challenges for malaria control in endemic regions. sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (sp) is currently deployed as intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (iptp) to prevent the adverse effects of malaria on the mother and her offspring. nevertheless, its efficacy is threatened by sp resistance which can be estimated by the prevalence of dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) and dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) mutations. this was m ... | 2015 | 26368675 |
| antimalarial drug resistance: literature review and activities and findings of the icemr network. | antimalarial drugs are key tools for the control and elimination of malaria. recent decreases in the global malaria burden are likely due, in part, to the deployment of artemisinin-based combination therapies. therefore, the emergence and potential spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites in southeast asia and changes in sensitivities to artemisinin partner drugs have raised concerns. in recognition of this urgent threat, the international centers of excellence for malaria research (icemrs) are ... | 2015 | 26259943 |
| effectiveness and safety of artemether-lumefantrine versus artesunate-amodiaquine for unsupervised treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in patients of all age groups in nanoro, burkina faso: a randomized open label trial. | several studies have reported high efficacy and safety of artemisinin-based combination therapy (act) mostly under strict supervision of drug intake and limited to children less than 5 years of age. patients over 5 years of age are usually not involved in such studies. thus, the findings do not fully reflect the reality in the field. this study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of act in routine treatment of uncomplicated malaria among patients of all age groups in nanoro, burkina fas ... | 2015 | 26289949 |
| spatial patterns of incident malaria cases and their household contacts in a single clinic catchment area of chongwe district, zambia. | reactive case detection (racd) for malaria is a strategy that may be used to complement passive surveillance, as passive surveillance fails to identify infections that are asymptomatic or do not seek care. the spatial and seasonal patterns of incident (index) cases reported at a single clinic in chongwe district were explored. | 2015 | 26246383 |
| the impact of six annual rounds of mass drug administration on wuchereria bancrofti infections in humans and in mosquitoes in mali. | wuchereria bancrofti prevalence and transmission were assessed in six endemic villages in sikasso, mali prior to and yearly during mass drug administration (mda) with albendazole and ivermectin from 2002 to 2007. microfilaremia was determined by calibrated thick smear of night blood in adult volunteers and circulating filarial antigen was measured using immunochromatographic card test in children < 5 years of age. mosquitoes were collected by human landing catch from july to december. none of th ... | 2015 | 26033027 |
| strengthening tactical planning and operational frameworks for vector control: the roadmap for malaria elimination in namibia. | namibia has made tremendous gains in malaria control and the epidemiological trend of the disease has changed significantly over the past years. in 2010, the country reoriented from the objective of reducing disease morbidity and mortality to the goal of achieving malaria elimination by 2020. this manuscript outlines the processes undertaken in strengthening tactical planning and operational frameworks for vector control to facilitate expeditious malaria elimination in namibia. | 2015 | 26242587 |
| preventing malaria transmission by indoor residual spraying in malawi: grappling with the challenge of uncertain sustainability. | in the past decade, there has been rapid scale-up of insecticide-based malaria vector control in the context of integrated vector management (ivm) according to world health organization recommendations. endemic countries have deployed indoor residual spraying (irs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets as hallmark vector control interventions. this paper discusses the successes and continued challenges and the way forward for the irs programme in malawi. | 2015 | 26104657 |
| long-lasting insecticidal nets in zambia: a cross-sectional analysis of net integrity and insecticide content. | long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) are a mainstay of malaria prevention in africa. more llins are available now than in any time previously due to increases in funding for malaria control. llins are expected to last three to five years before they need to be replaced. reports of nets lasting less than three years are frequent in zambia, which, if true, will increase the number of llins needed to maintain universal coverage. | 2015 | 26054336 |
| evaluation of icon maxx, a long-lasting treatment kit for mosquito nets: experimental hut trials against anopheline mosquitoes in tanzania. | insecticide-treated nets are the primary method of preventing malaria. to remain effective, the pyrethroid insecticide must withstand multiple washes over the lifetime of the net. icon(®) maxx is a 'dip-it-yourself' kit for long-lasting treatment of polyester nets. the twin-sachet kit contains a slow-release capsule suspension of lambda-cyhalothrin plus binding agent. to determine whether icon maxx meets the standards required by the world health organization pesticide evaluation scheme (whopes) ... | 2015 | 26025026 |
| population-wide malaria testing and treatment with rapid diagnostic tests and artemether-lumefantrine in southern zambia: a community randomized step-wedge control trial design. | reducing the human reservoir of malaria parasites is critical for elimination. we conducted a community randomized controlled trial in southern province, zambia to assess the impact of three rounds of a mass test and treatment (mtat) intervention on malaria prevalence and health facility outpatient case incidence using random effects logistic regression and negative binomial regression, respectively. following the intervention, children in the intervention group had lower odds of a malaria infec ... | 2015 | 25802434 |
| parasites and vectors of malaria on rusinga island, western kenya. | there is a dearth of information on malaria endemicity in the islands of lake victoria in western kenya. in this study malaria prevalence and plasmodium sporozoite rates on rusinga island were investigated. the contribution of different anopheles species to indoor and outdoor transmission of malaria was also determined. | 2015 | 25928743 |
| early biting and insecticide resistance in the malaria vector anopheles might compromise the effectiveness of vector control intervention in southwestern uganda. | southwestern uganda has high malaria heterogeneity despite moderate vector control and other interventions. moreover, the early biting transmission and increased resistance to insecticides might compromise strategies relying on vector control. consequently, monitoring of vector behaviour and insecticide efficacy is needed to assess the effectiveness of strategies aiming at malaria control. this eventually led to an entomological survey in two villages with high malaria prevalence in this region. | 2015 | 25879539 |
| mosquito host preferences affect their response to synthetic and natural odour blends. | the anthropophilic malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (hereafter termed anopheles gambiae) primarily takes blood meals from humans, whereas its close sibling anopheles arabiensis is more opportunistic. previous studies have identified several compounds that play a critical role in the odour-mediated behaviour of an. gambiae. this study determined the effect of natural and synthetic odour blends on mosquitoes with different host preferences to better understand the host-seeking beha ... | 2015 | 25889954 |
| patient adherence to prescribed artemisinin-based combination therapy in garissa county, kenya, after three years of health care in a conflict setting. | current day malaria cases and deaths are indicative of a lack of access to both methods of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; an important determinant of treatment efficacy is adherence. this study is a follow up to the baseline study of adherence to artemether-lumefantrine (al) carried out in garissa district in 2010. the study presented evaluates any changes in adherence levels which may have occurred in the area during this period and after nearly three years of sustained use of act across ... | 2015 | 25888895 |
| eliminating malaria vectors. | malaria vectors which predominantly feed indoors upon humans have been locally eliminated from several settings with insecticide treated nets (itns), indoor residual spraying or larval source management. recent dramatic declines of an. gambiae in east africa with imperfect itn coverage suggest mosquito populations can rapidly collapse when forced below realistically achievable, non-zero thresholds of density and supporting resource availability. here we explain why insecticide-based mosquito eli ... | 2013 | 23758937 |
| determinants of host feeding success by anopheles farauti. | the proportion of blood meals that mosquitoes take from a host species is a function of the interplay of extrinsic (abundance and location of potential hosts) and intrinsic (innate preference) factors. a mark-release-recapture experiment addressed whether host preference in a population of anopheles farauti was uniform or if there were anthropophilic and zoophilic subpopulations. the corresponding fitness associated with selecting different hosts for blood meals was compared by measuring fecundi ... | 2016 | 26964528 |
| the importance of mosquito behavioural adaptations to malaria control in africa. | over the past decade the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins), in combination with improved drug therapies, indoor residual spraying (irs), and better health infrastructure, has helped reduce malaria in many african countries for the first time in a generation. however, insecticide resistance in the vector is an evolving threat to these gains. we review emerging and historical data on behavioral resistance in response to llins and irs. overall the current literature suggests behavioral ... | 2013 | 23550770 |
| sequence analysis of insecticide action and detoxification-related genes in the insect pest natural enemy pardosa pseudoannulata. | the pond wolf spider pardosa pseudoannulata, an important natural predatory enemy of rice planthoppers, is found widely distributed in paddy fields. however, data on the genes involved in insecticide action, detoxification, and response are very limited for p. pseudoannulata, which inhibits the development and appropriate use of selective insecticides to control insect pests on rice. we used transcriptome construction from adult spider cephalothoraxes to analyze and manually identify genes encon ... | 2015 | 25923714 |
| the fungal defensin family enlarged. | fungi are an emerging source of peptide antibiotics. with the availability of a large number of model fungal genome sequences, we can expect that more and more fungal defensin-like peptides (fdlps) will be discovered by sequence similarity search. here, we report a total of 69 new fdlps encoded by 63 genes, in which a group of fdlps derived from dermatophytes are defined as a new family (fdef8) according to sequence and phylogenetic analyses. in the oleaginous fungus mortierella alpine, fdlps ha ... | 2014 | 25230677 |
| interplay of population genetics and dynamics in the genetic control of mosquitoes. | some proposed genetics-based vector control methods aim to suppress or eliminate a mosquito population in a similar manner to the sterile insect technique. one approach under development in anopheles mosquitoes uses homing endonuclease genes (hegs)-selfish genetic elements (inherited at greater than mendelian rate) that can spread rapidly through a population even if they reduce fitness. hegs have potential to drive introduced traits through a population without large-scale sustained releases. t ... | 2014 | 24522781 |