Divergent Goals and Commitments in Global Malaria Intervention

Anthony Kiszewski discusses the implications of a new study that finds that global malaria funding remains inadequate

The agroecology of malaria, maize, mosquitoes and dynamic landscape change in Ethiopia

PSAE Research Series No. 1

Outdoor host seeking behaviour of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes following initiation of malaria vector control on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Indoor-based anti-vector interventions remain the preferred means of reducing risk of malaria transmission in malaria endemic areas around the world. Despite demonstrated success in reducing human-mosquito interactions, these methods are effective solely against endophilic vectors. It may be that outdoor locations serve as an important venue of host seeking by <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>sensu lato (s.l.) mosquitoes where indoor vector suppression measures are employed. This paper describes the host seeking activity of anopheline mosquito vectors in the Punta Europa region of Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. In this area, <it>An. gambiae </it>sensu stricto (s.s.) is the primary malaria vector. The goal of the paper is to evaluate the importance of <it>An gambiae </it>s.l. outdoor host seeking behaviour and discuss its implications for anti-vector interventions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The venue and temporal characteristics of host seeking by anopheline vectors in a hyperendemic setting was evaluated using human landing collections conducted inside and outside homes in three villages during both the wet and dry seasons in 2007 and 2008. Additionally, five bi-monthly human landing collections were conducted throughout 2009. Collections were segregated hourly to provide a time distribution of host-seeking behaviour.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Surprisingly high levels of outdoor biting by <it>An. gambiae </it>senso stricto and <it>An. melas </it>vectors were observed throughout the night, including during the early evening and morning hours when human hosts are often outdoors. As reported previously, <it>An. gambiae </it>s.s. is the primary malaria vector in the Punta Europa region, where it seeks hosts outdoors at least as much as it does indoors. Further, approximately 40% of <it>An. gambiae </it>s.l. are feeding at times when people are often outdoors, where they are not protected by IRS or LLINs. Repeated sampling over two consecutive dry-wet season cycles indicates that this result is independent of seasonality.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>An. gambiae </it>s.l. mosquitoes currently seek hosts in outdoor venues as much as indoors in the Punta Europa region of Bioko Island. This contrasts with an earlier pre-intervention observation of exclusive endophagy of <it>An. gambiae </it>in this region. In light of this finding, it is proposed that the long term indoor application of insecticides may have resulted in an adaptive shift toward outdoor host seeking in <it>An. gambiae </it>s.s. on Bioko Island.</p

The dominant Anopheles vectors of human malaria in the Asia-Pacific region: occurrence data, distribution maps and bionomic précis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The final article in a series of three publications examining the global distribution of 41 dominant vector species (DVS) of malaria is presented here. The first publication examined the DVS from the Americas, with the second covering those species present in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Here we discuss the 19 DVS of the Asian-Pacific region. This region experiences a high diversity of vector species, many occurring sympatrically, which, combined with the occurrence of a high number of species complexes and suspected species complexes, and behavioural plasticity of many of these major vectors, adds a level of entomological complexity not comparable elsewhere globally. To try and untangle the intricacy of the vectors of this region and to increase the effectiveness of vector control interventions, an understanding of the contemporary distribution of each species, combined with a synthesis of the current knowledge of their behaviour and ecology is needed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Expert opinion (EO) range maps, created with the most up-to-date expert knowledge of each DVS distribution, were combined with a contemporary database of occurrence data and a suite of open access, environmental and climatic variables. Using the Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) modelling method, distribution maps of each DVS were produced. The occurrence data were abstracted from the formal, published literature, plus other relevant sources, resulting in the collation of DVS occurrence at 10116 locations across 31 countries, of which 8853 were successfully geo-referenced and 7430 were resolved to spatial areas that could be included in the BRT model. A detailed summary of the information on the bionomics of each species and species complex is also presented.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This article concludes a project aimed to establish the contemporary global distribution of the DVS of malaria. The three articles produced are intended as a detailed reference for scientists continuing research into the aspects of taxonomy, biology and ecology relevant to species-specific vector control. This research is particularly relevant to help unravel the complicated taxonomic status, ecology and epidemiology of the vectors of the Asia-Pacific region. All the occurrence data, predictive maps and EO-shape files generated during the production of these publications will be made available in the public domain. We hope that this will encourage data sharing to improve future iterations of the distribution maps.</p

Blocking Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Transmission with Drugs: The Gametocytocidal and Sporontocidal Properties of Current and Prospective Antimalarials

Drugs that kill or inhibit the sexual stages of Plasmodium could potentially amplify or synergize the impact of other interventions by blocking transmission to mosquitoes. Primaquine and other 8-aminoquinolines have long offered such potential, but safety and other concerns have limited their use. Although transmission-blocking properties are not often a priority of drug discovery efforts, a number of interesting gametocytocidal and/or sporontocidal drug candidates have emerged in recent years. Some still bear significant technical and safety concerns, while others have passed clinical trials and are on the verge of entering the antimalarial armamentarium. Recent advances in our knowledge of gametocyte differentiation, gametogenesis and sporogony have also led to the identification of a large array of potential new targets for drugs that might interfere with malaria transmission. This review examines the properties of existing and prospective drugs, mechanisms of action, counter-indications and their potential role in regional malaria elimination efforts

Laboratory experiments on stranding of Anopheles larvae under different shoreline environmental conditions

Background One of the concerns for future malaria epidemiology is the elevated risks of malaria around an ever-increasing number of dam sites. Controlling larval populations around reservoirs behind dams by manipulating the water levels of reservoirs could be an effective and sustainable measure for suppressing malaria epidemics; however, the effectiveness of the water-level manipulation and the contributing mechanisms have been poorly studied. In this paper, we focus on how water recession may lead to larval stranding. Methods Larvae of An. albimanus were studied to assess their susceptibility to stranding under different conditions representing reservoir shoreline environments in an experimental tank (50&#160;cm&#8201;&#215;&#8201;100&#160;cm). The tank was initially seeded with 80 larvae uniformly, and the numbers of larvae stranded on land and remaining in water were counted (summed up to recovered larvae), following the recession of water. The vertical water drawdown rate and the proportion of stranded larvae to recovered larvae (p) were measured. Shoreline conditions tested were inclinations of shore slopes (2% and 4%) and surface types (smooth, vegetated, rough, ridged). Results For the 2% slopes, the proportions of stranded larvae (p) increased by about 0.002, 0.004, and 0.010 as the water drawdown rate increased by a centimeter per day on the smooth, rough, and vegetated surfaces, respectively. p for the 4% slopes were smaller than for the 2% slopes. Unlike other surface conditions, no significant correlation between p and the drawdown rate was observed on the ridged surface. Conclusions Larger proportions of Anopheles larvae were stranded at higher water drawdown rates, on smaller reservoir slopes, and under rough or vegetated surface conditions. Three mechanisms of larval stranding were identified: falling behind shoreline recession; entrapment in small closed water bodies; and inhabitation in shallow areas. Depending on the local vectors of Anopheles mosquitoes, the conditions for their favorable breeding sites correspond to the conditions for large larval stranding. If these conditions are met, water-level manipulation could be an effective measure to control malaria along shorelines of reservoirs behind dams.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant EAR-0946280)Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cooperative Agreement between the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Masdar Institute), Abu Dhabi, UAE and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA--Reference 02/MI/MI/CP/11/07633/GEN/G/00

Insecticide resistance allele frequencies in Anopheles gambiae before and after anti-vector interventions in continental Equatorial Guinea.

Anti-malaria interventions that rely on insecticides can be compromised by insecticide-resistance alleles among malaria vectors. We examined frequency changes of resistance alleles at two loci, knockdown resistance (kdr) and acetylcholinesterase-1 (ace-1), which confer resistance to pyrethroids and DDT, and carbamates, respectively. A total of 7,059 Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto mosquitoes were analyzed from multiple sites across continental Equatorial Guinea. A subset of sites included samples collected pre-intervention (2007) and post-intervention (2009-2011). Both L1014S and L1014F resistance alleles were observed in almost all pre-intervention collections. In particular, L1014F was already at substantial frequencies in M form populations (17.6-74.6%), and at high frequencies (> 50%) in all but two S form populations. Comparison before and throughout anti-vector interventions showed drastic increases in L1014F, presumably caused by intensified selection pressure imposed by pyrethroids used in vector control efforts. In light of these findings, inclusion of other insecticide classes in any anti-vector intervention can be considered prudent

Investigation of an Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial and Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata

Abstract Elevation is an important determinant of ecological community composition. It integrates several abiotic features and leads to strong, repeatable patterns of community structure, including changes in the abundance and richness of numerous taxa. However, the influence of elevational gradients on microbes is understudied relative to plants and animals. To compare the influence of elevation on multiple taxa simultaneously, we sampled phytotelm communities within a tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes mindanaoensis) along a gradient from 400 to 1200 m a.s.l. We use a combination of metabarcoding and physical counts to assess diversity and richness of bacteria, micro-eukaryotes, and arthropods, and compare the effect of elevation on community structure to that of regulation by a number of plant factors. Patterns of community structure differed between bacteria and eukaryotes, despite their living together in the same aquatic microhabitats. Elevation influences community composition of eukaryotes to a significantly greater degree than it does bacteria. When examining pitcher characteristics, pitcher dimorphism has an effect on eukaryotes but not bacteria, while variation in pH levels strongly influences both taxa. Consistent with previous ecological studies, arthropod abundance in phytotelmata decreases with elevation, but some patterns of abundance differ between living inquilines and prey