Characterizing the breeding site of Anopheles sinensis is of major importance for the transition from malaria control to elimination in China. However, little information is available especially regarding the characteristics and influencing factors of breeding sites of An. sinensis in Yongcheng City, a representative region of unstable malaria transmission in the Huang-Huai River region of central … [Read more...]
Insecticide Susceptibility Status of Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) Sergenti and Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) Papatasi in Endemic Foci of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Morocco
In Morocco, cutaneous leishmaniasis is transmitted by Phlebotomus sergenti and Ph. papatasi. Vector control is mainly based on environmental management but indoor residual spraying with synthetic pyrethroids is applied in many foci of Leishmania tropica. However, the levels and distribution of sandfly susceptibility to insecticides currently used has not been studied yet. Hence, this study was … [Read more...]
Mobile Phone Text Messaging: Tool for Malaria Control in Africa
Across many malaria-endemic areas in rural Africa, the communication gap between managers, health workers, and patients is a significant barrier to efficient malaria control. The rapid expansion of mobile network coverage and the widespread availability of basic handsets have the potential to substantively bridge the communication gap. Text messaging, as the least-expensive mobile phone function … [Read more...]
Blood-Feeding Patterns of Anopheles Mosquitoes in Bangladesh
Blood-feeding patterns of mosquitoes are crucial for incriminating malaria vectors. However, little information is available on the host preferences of Anopheles mosquitoes in Bangladesh. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the hematophagic tendencies of the anophelines inhabiting a malaria-endemic area of Bangladesh. … [Read more...]
Hitting Hotspots: Spatial Targeting of Malaria for Control and Elimination
Current malaria elimination guidelines are based on the concept that malaria transmission becomes heterogeneous in the later phases of malaria elimination [1]. In the pre-elimination and elimination phases, interventions have to be targeted to entire villages or towns with higher malaria incidence until only individual episodes of malaria remain and become the centre of attention [1]. With … [Read more...]
Central Venous Catheter Use in Severe Malaria: Time to Reconsider the World Health Organization Guidelines?
To optimize the fluid status of adult patients with severe malaria, World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend the insertion of a central venous catheter (CVC) and a target central venous pressure (CVP) of 0-5 cmH2O. However there are few data from clinical trials to support this recommendation. Methods Twenty-eight adult Indian and Bangladeshi patients admitted to the intensive care … [Read more...]
REVIEW: The Use of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Pregnancy to Protect Against Malaria Infection
Review of Le Port A, et al. (2011), ‘Prevention of Malaria during Pregnancy: Assessing the Effect of the Distribution of IPTp Through the National Policy in Benin’, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Vol 84 (Issue 2): pp 270-275 … [Read more...]
Polymorphism in the Human FAS Gene Promoter Associated with Severe Childhood Malaria
Human genetics and immune responses are considered to critically influence the outcome of malaria infections including life-threatening syndromes caused by Plasmodium falciparum. An important role in immune regulation is assigned to the apoptosis-signaling cell surface receptor CD95 (Fas, APO-1), encoded by the gene FAS. Here, a candidate-gene association study including variant discovery … [Read more...]
Of Macaques and Men
Plasmodium knowlesi —a new challenge in the Roll Back Malaria Program? Mention of malaria often conjures images of infants hospitalized in Africa. Although most deaths from malaria are children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa, there are many different types of malaria that put over half of the world’s population at risk in subtropical and tropical regions worldwide. There have historically … [Read more...]
APL1 Malaria Resistance Genes of Anopheles Gambiae
Immune defense genes are sometimes highly variable in host populations, reflecting selective pressure to combat diverse pathogens. In other instances, where there are only a few dominant pathogens, natural selection may favor only one or a few defense alleles. Here, we show that both adaptive strategies can occur in the same genes under different circumstances. We examined diversity in the … [Read more...]