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. 2016 May 1;213(9):1491-4.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiv599. Epub 2015 Dec 13.

Microscopic Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytemia and Infectivity to Mosquitoes in Cambodia

Jessica T Lin  1 , Ratawan Ubalee  2 , Chanthap Lon  3 , Sujata Balasubramanian  1 , Worachet Kuntawunginn  4 , Rifat Rahman  1 , Piyaporn Saingam  4 , Thay Kheang Heng  5 , Dav Vy  6 , Savoeun San  7 , Sarath Nuom  3 , Hana Burkly  4 , Nitima Chanarat  4 , Chanudom Ponsa  2 , Lauren Levitz  8 , Christian Parobek  9 , Char Meng Chuor  5 , Sok Somethy  6 , Michele Spring  4 , Charlotte Lanteri  4 , Panita Gosi  4 , Steven R Meshnick  8 , David L Saunders  4
Affiliations

Microscopic Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytemia and Infectivity to Mosquitoes in Cambodia

Jessica T Lin et al. J Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Although gametocytes are essential for malaria transmission, in Africa many falciparum-infected persons without smear-detectable gametocytes still infect mosquitoes. To see whether the same is true in Southeast Asia, we determined the infectiousness of 119 falciparum-infected Cambodian adults to Anopheles dirus mosquitoes by membrane feeding. Just 5.9% of subjects infected mosquitoes. The 8.4% of patients with smear-detectable gametocytes were >20 times more likely to infect mosquitoes than those without and were the source of 96% of all mosquito infections. In low-transmission settings, targeting transmission-blocking interventions to those with microscopic gametocytemia may have an outsized effect on malaria control and elimination.

Keywords: Anopheles dirus; Plasmodium falciparum; gametocyte; infectious reservoir; malaria transmission; membrane feeding; submicroscopic.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Relationship of smear-detectable gametocytemia to prevalence of mosquito infection. Because of the logarithmic scale, only patients with smear-detectable gametocytes are depicted. Circles represent patients with Plasmodium falciparum monoinfection; squares, those with mixed P. falciparum/P. vivax infection. For patients with mixed infection, the percentage of infected mosquitoes was calculated as the proportion of 30 mosquitoes with positive falciparum-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction results at day 9 after feeding.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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