scholarly journals Multiple blood feeding in mosquitoes shortens the Plasmodium falciparum incubation period and increases malaria transmission potential

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Robert Shaw ◽  
Inga E. Holmdahl ◽  
Maurice A. Itoe ◽  
Kristine Werling ◽  
Meghan Marquette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Malaria Transmission ◽  
Incubation Period ◽  
Malaria Vector ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Transmission Potential ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Major Malaria Vector

AbstractMany mosquito species, including the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, naturally undergo multiple reproductive cycles of blood feeding, egg development and egg laying in their lifespan. Such complex mosquito behavior is regularly overlooked when mosquitoes are experimentally infected with malaria parasites, limiting our ability to accurately describe potential effects on transmission. Here, we examine how Plasmodium falciparum development and transmission potential is impacted when infected mosquitoes feed an additional time. We measured P. falciparum oocyst size and performed sporozoite time course analyses to determine the parasite’s extrinsic incubation period (EIP), i.e. the time required by parasites to reach infectious sporozoite stages, in An. gambiae females blood fed either once or twice. An additional blood feed at 3 days post infection drastically accelerates oocyst growth rates, causing earlier sporozoite accumulation in the salivary glands, thereby shortening the EIP (reduction of 2.25 ± 0.39 days). Moreover, parasite growth is further accelerated in transgenic mosquitoes with reduced reproductive capacity, which mimic genetic modifications currently proposed in population suppression gene drives. We incorporate our shortened EIP values into a measure of transmission potential, the basic reproduction number R0, and find the average R0 is remarkably higher (range: 10.1%–12.1% increase) across sub-Saharan Africa than when using traditional EIP measurements. These data suggest that malaria elimination may be substantially more challenging and that younger mosquitoes or those with reduced reproductive ability may provide a larger contribution to infection than currently believed. Our findings have profound implications for current and future mosquito control interventions.Significance StatementIn natural settings the female Anopheles gambiae mosquito, the major malaria vector, blood feeds multiple times in her lifespan. Here we demonstrate that an additional blood feed accelerates the growth of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites in this mosquito. Incorporating these data into a mathematical model across sub-Saharan Africa reveals that malaria transmission potential is likely to be substantially higher than previously thought, making disease elimination more difficult. Additionally, we show that control strategies that manipulate mosquito reproduction with the aim of suppressing Anopheles populations may inadvertently favor malaria transmission. Our data also suggest that parasites can be transmitted by younger mosquitoes, which are less susceptible to insecticide killing, with negative implications for the success of insecticide-based strategies.

scholarly journals Multiple blood feeding in mosquitoes shortens the Plasmodium falciparum incubation period and increases malaria transmission potential

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e1009131
Author(s):  
W. Robert Shaw ◽  
Inga E. Holmdahl ◽  
Maurice A. Itoe ◽  
Kristine Werling ◽  
Meghan Marquette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Incubation Period ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Transmission Potential

Many mosquito species, including the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, naturally undergo multiple reproductive cycles of blood feeding, egg development and egg laying in their lifespan. Such complex mosquito behavior is regularly overlooked when mosquitoes are experimentally infected with malaria parasites, limiting our ability to accurately describe potential effects on transmission. Here, we examine how Plasmodium falciparum development and transmission potential is impacted when infected mosquitoes feed an additional time. We measured P. falciparum oocyst size and performed sporozoite time course analyses to determine the parasite’s extrinsic incubation period (EIP), i.e. the time required by parasites to reach infectious sporozoite stages, in An. gambiae females blood fed either once or twice. An additional blood feed at 3 days post infection drastically accelerates oocyst growth rates, causing earlier sporozoite accumulation in the salivary glands, thereby shortening the EIP (reduction of 2.3 ± 0.4 days). Moreover, parasite growth is further accelerated in transgenic mosquitoes with reduced reproductive capacity, which mimic genetic modifications currently proposed in population suppression gene drives. We incorporate our shortened EIP values into a measure of transmission potential, the basic reproduction number R0, and find the average R0 is higher (range: 10.1%–12.1% increase) across sub-Saharan Africa than when using traditional EIP measurements. These data suggest that malaria elimination may be substantially more challenging and that younger mosquitoes or those with reduced reproductive ability may provide a larger contribution to infection than currently believed. Our findings have profound implications for current and future mosquito control interventions.

Justifying an Intentional Species Extinction: The Case of Anopheles gambiae

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Edward Callies ◽  
Yasha Rohwer
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Malaria Vector ◽  
Malaria Parasite ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Species Extinction ◽  
Malaria Burden ◽  
Subjective Value ◽  
The World ◽  
Genetic Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan

Each year, over 200 million people are infected with the malaria parasite, nearly half a million of whom succumb to the disease. Emerging genetic technologies could, in theory, eliminate the burden of malaria throughout the world by intentionally eradicating the mosquitoes that transmit the disease. In this paper, we offer an ethical examination of the intentional eradication of Anopheles gambiae, the main malaria vector of sub-Saharan Africa. In our evaluation, we focus on two main considerations: the benefit of alleviating the malaria burden, and the loss of value that would accompany the eradication of the species. We outline a typology of the different ways in which species are valued or could be valuable, then use that typology to appraise the value of the species in question. We argue that Anopheles gambiae has minor (and redundant) instrumental value, little final subjective value and no objective final value.

scholarly journals Transmission potential of Rickettsia felis infection by Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (26) ◽  
pp. 8088-8093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constentin Dieme ◽  
Yassina Bechah ◽  
Cristina Socolovschi ◽  
Gilles Audoly ◽  
Jean-Michel Berenger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Rickettsia Felis ◽  
Infected Blood ◽  
Transmission Potential ◽  
Membrane Feeding ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Sub Saharan

A growing number of recent reports have implicated Rickettsia felis as a human pathogen, paralleling the increasing detection of R. felis in arthropod hosts across the globe, primarily in fleas. Here Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, the primary malarial vectors in sub-Saharan Africa, were fed with either blood meal infected with R. felis or infected cellular media administered in membrane feeding systems. In addition, a group of mosquitoes was fed on R. felis-infected BALB/c mice. The acquisition and persistence of R. felis in mosquitoes was demonstrated by quantitative PCR detection of the bacteria up to day 15 postinfection. R. felis was detected in mosquito feces up to day 14. Furthermore, R. felis was visualized by immunofluorescence in salivary glands, in and around the gut, and in the ovaries, although no vertical transmission was observed. R. felis was also found in the cotton used for sucrose feeding after the mosquitoes were fed infected blood. Natural bites from R. felis-infected An. gambiae were able to cause transient rickettsemias in mice, indicating that this mosquito species has the potential to be a vector of R. felis infection. This is particularly important given the recent report of high prevalence of R. felis infection in patients with “fever of unknown origin” in malaria-endemic areas.

scholarly journals Pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae not associated with insecticide-treated mosquito net effectiveness across sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Larsen ◽  
Rachael L. Church
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Malaria Vector ◽  
Malaria Infection ◽  
Pyrethroid Resistance ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Malaria Vector Control ◽  
Lr Test ◽  
Meta Regression ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundPyrethroid resistance is a major concern for malaria vector control programs that predominantly rely on insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITN). Contradictory results of the impact of resistance have been observed in field studies.MethodsWe combined continent-wide estimates of pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae from 2006-2017 with continent-wide survey data to assess the effect of increasing pyrethroid resistance on the effectiveness of ITNs to prevent malaria infections in sub-Saharan Africa. We utilized both a pooled-data approach and meta-regression of survey regions to assess how pyrethroid resistance affects the association between ITN ownership and malaria outcomes in children aged 6-59 months.FindingsITN ownership reduced the risk of malaria outcomes in both pooled and meta-regression approaches. In the pooled analysis, there was no observed interaction between ITN ownership and estimated level of pyrethroid resistance (Likelihood ratio [LR] test = 1.127 for the outcome of rapid diagnostic test confirmed malaria infection, p = 0.2885; LR test = 0.161 for the outcome of microscopy confirmed malaria infection, p = 0.161; LR test = 0.646 for the outcome of moderate or severe anemia, p = 0.4215). In the meta-regression approach the level of pyrethroid resistance did not explain any of the variance in subnational estimates of ITN effectiveness for any of the outcomes.InterpretationITNs decreased risk of malaria outcomes independent of the levels of pyrethroid resistance in the malaria vector populations.FundingDAL did not receive funding and RC received a SOURCE grant from Syracuse University for this project.

scholarly journals Factors influencing infection and transmission ofAnopheles gambiaedensovirus (AgDNV) in mosquitoes

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tapan K. Barik ◽  
Yasutsugu Suzuki ◽  
Jason L. Rasgon
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gene Transduction ◽  
Egfp Reporter ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Viral Titers

Anopheles gambiaedensovirus (AgDNV) is a potential microbial agent for paratransgenesis and gene transduction inAn. gambiae, the major vector of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the interaction between AgDNV andAn. gambiaeis critical for using AgDNV in a basic and applied manner forAnophelesgene manipulation. Here, we tested the effects of mosquito age, sex, blood feeding status, and potential for horizontal transmission using an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter AgDNV system. Neither mosquito age at infection nor feeding regime affected viral titers. Female mosquitoes were more permissive to viral infection than males. Despite low viral titers, infected males were able to venereally transmit virus to females during mating, where the virus was localized with the transferred sperm in the spermathecae. These findings will be useful for designing AgDNV-based strategies to manipulateAnopheles gambiae.

scholarly journals A Vectorial Capacity Product to Monitor Changing Malaria Transmission Potential in Epidemic Regions of Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Ceccato ◽  
Christelle Vancutsem ◽  
Robert Klaver ◽  
James Rowland ◽  
Stephen J. Connor
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Transmission ◽  
Malaria Incidence ◽  
Vectorial Capacity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Transmission Potential ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Capacity Model ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Major Factors

Rainfall and temperature are two of the major factors triggering malaria epidemics in warm semi-arid (desert-fringe) and high altitude (highland-fringe) epidemic risk areas. The ability of the mosquitoes to transmitPlasmodiumspp. is dependent upon a series of biological features generally referred to as vectorial capacity. In this study, the vectorial capacity model (VCAP) was expanded to include the influence of rainfall and temperature variables on malaria transmission potential. Data from two remote sensing products were used to monitor rainfall and temperature and were integrated into the VCAP model. The expanded model was tested in Eritrea and Madagascar to check the viability of the approach. The analysis of VCAP in relation to rainfall, temperature and malaria incidence data in these regions shows that the expanded VCAP correctly tracks the risk of malaria both in regions where rainfall is the limiting factor and in regions where temperature is the limiting factor. The VCAP maps are currently offered as an experimental resource for testing within Malaria Early Warning applications in epidemic prone regions of sub-Saharan Africa. User feedback is currently being collected in preparation for further evaluation and refinement of the VCAP model.

scholarly journals Pyrethroid Resistance in Anopheles gambiae Not Associated with Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Net Effectiveness Across Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Larsen ◽  
Rachael L. Church
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Malaria Vector ◽  
Malaria Infection ◽  
Pyrethroid Resistance ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Malaria Vector Control ◽  
Lr Test ◽  
Meta Regression ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Pyrethroid resistance is a major concern for malaria vector control programs that predominantly rely on insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs). Contradictory results of the impact of resistance have been observed during field studies. We combined continent-wide estimates of pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae from 2006 to 2017, with continent-wide survey data to assess the effect of increasing pyrethroid resistance on the effectiveness of ITNs to prevent malaria infections in sub-Saharan Africa. We used a pooled-data approach and a meta-regression of survey regions to assess how pyrethroid resistance affects the association between ITN ownership and malaria outcomes for children 6 to 59 months of age. ITN ownership reduced the risk of malaria outcomes according to both the pooled and meta-regression approaches. According to the pooled analysis, there was no observed interaction between ITN ownership and estimated level of pyrethroid resistance (likelihood ratio [LR] test, 1.127 for malaria infection confirmed by the rapid diagnostic test, P = 0.2885; LR test = 0.161 for microscopy-confirmed malaria infection, P = 0.161; LR test = 0.646 for moderate or severe anemia, P = 0.4215). Using the meta-regression approach to determine the level of pyrethroid resistance did not explain any of the variance in subnational estimates of ITN effectiveness for any of the outcomes. ITNs decreased the risk of malaria independent of the levels of pyrethroid resistance in malaria vector populations.

scholarly journals An increasing role of pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles funestus in malaria transmission in the Lake Zone, Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy S. Matowo ◽  
Jackline Martin ◽  
Manisha A. Kulkarni ◽  
Jacklin F. Mosha ◽  
Eliud Lukole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Transmission ◽  
Anopheles Funestus ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
North West ◽  
Vector Population ◽  
Lake Zone ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets ◽  
Study District

AbstractAnopheles funestus is playing an increasing role in malaria transmission in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where An. gambiae s.s. has been effectively controlled by long-lasting insecticidal nets. We investigated vector population bionomics, insecticide resistance and malaria transmission dynamics in 86 study clusters in North-West Tanzania. An. funestus s.l. represented 94.5% (4740/5016) of all vectors and was responsible for the majority of malaria transmission (96.5%), with a sporozoite rate of 3.4% and average monthly entomological inoculation rate (EIR) of 4.57 per house. Micro-geographical heterogeneity in species composition, abundance and transmission was observed across the study district in relation to key ecological differences between northern and southern clusters, with significantly higher densities, proportions and EIR of An. funestus s.l. collected from the South. An. gambiae s.l. (5.5%) density, principally An. arabiensis (81.1%) and An. gambiae s.s. (18.9%), was much lower and closely correlated with seasonal rainfall. Both An. funestus s.l. and An. gambiae s.l. were similarly resistant to alpha-cypermethrin and permethrin. Overexpression of CYP9K1, CYP6P3, CYP6P4 and CYP6M2 and high L1014S-kdr mutation frequency were detected in An. gambiae s.s. populations. Study findings highlight the urgent need for novel vector control tools to tackle persistent malaria transmission in the Lake Region of Tanzania.

scholarly journals Insights into factors sustaining persistence of high malaria transmission in forested areas of sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Mvoua, South Cameroon

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Mieguim Ngninpogni ◽  
Cyrille Ndo ◽  
Patrick Ntonga Akono ◽  
Anicet Nguemo ◽  
Amine Nguepi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Malaria Transmission ◽  
Anopheles Funestus ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Pyrethroid Insecticides ◽  
Kisumu Strain

Abstract Background In Mvoua, a village situated in a forested area of Cameroon, recent studies have reported high prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection among the population. In order to understand factors that can sustain such a high malaria transmission, we investigated the biology of Anopheles vectors and its susceptibility to insecticides, as well as long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) coverage, use and bio-efficacy. Methods A longitudinal entomological survey was conducted from July 2018 to April 2019. Adult mosquitoes were collected using the human landing catch (HLC) method and identified using morphological and molecular techniques. Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) larvae were sampled from several stagnant water pools throughout the village and reared to generate F1 adults. The presence of P. falciparum circumsporozoite antigen was detected in the heads and thoraces of mosquitoes collected as adults using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The insecticide susceptibility status of the local An. gambiae (s.l.) F1 population to the pyrethroid insecticides deltamethrin 0.5% and permethrin 0.75% was determined using World Health Organization-tube bioassays, while the frequency of the knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation was determined by PCR. Coverage, use and physical integrity of LLINs were assessed in households, then cone assays were used to test for their bio-efficacy on both the reference insecticide-susceptible Kisumu strain and on field F1 An. gambiae (s.l.) Results In total, 110 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected, of which 59.1% were identified as Anopheles funestus (s.l.), 38.18% as An. gambiae (s.l.) and 2.72% as An. ziemanii. Anopheles funestus was the most abundant species except in the long rainy season, when An. gambiae (s.l.) predominated (65.8%). In the dry seasons, vectors were principally endophagous (76% of those collected indoors) while they tended to be exophagous (66% of those collected outdoors) in rainy seasons. High Plasmodium infection was observed in An. gambiae (s.l.) and An. funestus, with a circumsporozoitic rate of 14.29 and 10.77%, respectively. Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) was highly resistant to pyrethroid insecticides (mortality rates: 32% for permethrin and 5% for deltamethrin) and harbored the kdr-L1014F mutation at a high frequency (89.74%). Of the 80 households surveyed, only 47.69% had achieved universal coverage with LLNs. Around 70% of the LLINs sampled were in poor physical condition, with a proportionate hole index > 300. Of the ten LLNs tested, eight were effective against the An. gambiae reference insecticide-susceptible Kisumu strain, showing mortality rate of > 80%, while none of these LLINs were efficient against local An. gamabie (s.l.) populations (mortality rates < 11.5%). Conclusion A combination of elevated P. falciparum infection in Anopheles vector populations, insufficient coverage and loss of effectiveness of LLINs due to physical degradation, as well as high resistance to pyrethroid insecticides is responsible for the persistence of high malaria transmission in forested rural area of Mvoua, Cameroon.

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