title: Blood-Stage Parasitaemia and Age Determine Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax Gametocytaemia in Papua New Guinea.
abstract: A better understanding of human-to-mosquito transmission is crucial to control malaria. In order to assess factors associated with gametocyte carriage, 2083 samples were collected in a cross-sectional survey in Papua New Guinea. Plasmodium species were detected by light microscopy and qPCR and gametocytes by detection of pfs25 and pvs25 mRNA transcripts by reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). The parasite prevalence by PCR was 18.5% for Plasmodium falciparum and 13.0% for P. vivax. 52.5% of all infections were submicroscopic. Gametocytes were detected in 60% of P. falciparum-positive and 51% of P. vivax-positive samples. Each 10-fold increase in parasite density led to a 1.8-fold and 3.3-fold increase in the odds of carrying P. falciparum and P. vivax gametocytes. Thus the proportion of gametocyte positive and gametocyte densities was highest in young children carrying high asexual parasite densities and in symptomatic individuals. Dilution series of gametocytes allowed absolute quantification of gametocyte densities by qRT-PCR and showed that pvs25 expression is 10-20 fold lower than pfs25 expression. Between 2006 and 2010 parasite prevalence in the study site has decreased by half. 90% of the remaining infections were asymptomatic and likely constitute an important reservoir of transmission. However, mean gametocyte densities were low (approx. 1-2 gametocyte/μL) and it remains to be determined to what extent low-density gametocyte positive individuals are infective to mosquitos.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Population Health and Immunity Division, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Biology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koepfli
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Population Health and Immunity Division, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Biology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Vector Borne Diseases Unit, Madang, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Leanne J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Vector Borne Diseases Unit, Madang, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rarau
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Vector Borne Diseases Unit, Madang, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salib
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Vector Borne Diseases Unit, Madang, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sambale
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rahel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wampfler
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Vector Borne Diseases Unit, Madang, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Inoni
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Betuela
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nuitragool
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Population Health and Immunity Division, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Biology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Alyssa E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Vector Borne Diseases Unit, Madang, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siba
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Felger
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Population Health and Immunity Division, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Biology, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; ISGlobal, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D059208:Parasite Load; D018512:Parasitemia; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult