title: Epidemiology of malaria transmission and development of natural immunity in a malaria-endemic village, San Dulakudar, in Orissa state, India.
abstract: We describe the epidemiology of malaria in San Dulakudar, a village in Sundargarh District in the state of Orissa in eastern India. Malaria transmission is perennial with Plasmodium falciparum, accounting for greater than 80% of malaria cases. Transmission intensity varies with season with high transmission after the monsoon rains in autumn and winter, low transmission in summer, and intermediate transmission in spring. The anthropophagic mosquito Anopheles fluviatilis was identified as the main vector for malaria transmission. Based on observations of spleen rates and supported by data on malaria parasite prevalence and malaria incidence, San Dulakudar can be classified as a hyperendemic area for P. falciparum malaria. Parasite prevalence and malaria incidence rates decrease with age, suggesting that residents of San Dulakudar develop immunity to malaria. The study demonstrates the presence of regions in the Indian subcontinent such as Sundargarh District where P. falciparum is the primary cause of malaria and where malaria transmission rates are comparable to those found in many parts of Africa.
authors.affiliation: Malaria Research Centre Field Station, Sector-5, Rourkela 769002, Orissa, India. rk1_mrcrk1@sancharnet.in
authors.forename: Surya K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
authors.forename: Kausik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
authors.forename: Sudhanshu S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pati
authors.forename: Vinod K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Prajesh K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.forename: Sanjib
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahanty
authors.forename: Saroj K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Tridibes
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adak
authors.forename: Bhabani S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Chetan E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Chitnis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population