A simple epidemiological model for evaluating the malaria inoculation rate and the risk of infection in infants

Abstract

A simple epidemiological model for evaluating the malaria inoculation rate and the risk of infection in infants was applied to describe the disease picture in an area of East Africa. Fairly good agreement was noted between the actual and expected curves of disease acquisition; this model could therefore be used for simulating epidemiological processes. Entomological and parasitological inoculation rates were compared by means of different approaches. As a result, it was possible to calculate the factor of proportionality defined as the proportion of anophelines having in their glands sporozoites that are actually infective.