title: Predicting mosquito infection from Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte density and estimating the reservoir of infection.
abstract: Transmission reduction is a key component of global efforts to control and eliminate malaria; yet, it is unclear how the density of transmission stages (gametocytes) influences infection (proportion of mosquitoes infected). Human to mosquito transmission was assessed using 171 direct mosquito feeding assays conducted in Burkina Faso and Kenya. Plasmodium falciparum infects Anopheles gambiae efficiently at low densities (4% mosquitoes at 1/µl blood), although substantially more (>200/µl) are required to increase infection further. In a site in Burkina Faso, children harbour more gametocytes than adults though the non-linear relationship between gametocyte density and mosquito infection means that (per person) they only contribute slightly more to transmission. This method can be used to determine the reservoir of infection in different endemic settings. Interventions reducing gametocyte density need to be highly effective in order to halt human-mosquito transmission, although their use can be optimised by targeting those contributing the most to transmission. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00626.001.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology , Imperial College London , London , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Churcher
authors.forename: Teun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bousema
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drakeley
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: André Lin
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ouédraogo
authors.forename: María-Gloria
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Basáñez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000166:cytology*
keywords: Gametocyte; Human; Malaria; Mathematical Model; Mosquito; Reservoir of infection