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Genotyping of Anopheles mosquito blood meals reveals nonrandom human host selection: implications for human-to-mosquito Plasmodium falciparum transmission.
- Source :
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Malaria journal [Malar J] 2023 Apr 07; Vol. 22 (1), pp. 115. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Apr 07. - Publication Year :
- 2023
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Abstract
- Background: Control of malaria parasite transmission can be enhanced by understanding which human demographic groups serve as the infectious reservoirs. Because vector biting can be heterogeneous, some infected individuals may contribute more to human-to-mosquito transmission than others. Infection prevalence peaks in school-age children, but it is not known how often they are fed upon. Genotypic profiling of human blood permits identification of individual humans who were bitten. The present investigation used this method to estimate which human demographic groups were most responsible for transmitting malaria parasites to Anopheles mosquitoes. It was hypothesized that school-age children contribute more than other demographic groups to human-to-mosquito malaria transmission.<br />Methods: In a region of moderate-to-high malaria incidence in southeastern Malawi, randomly selected households were surveyed to collect human demographic information and blood samples. Blood-fed, female Anopheles mosquitoes were sampled indoors from the same houses. Genomic DNA from human blood samples and mosquito blood meals of human origin was genotyped using 24 microsatellite loci. The resultant genotypes were matched to identify which individual humans were sources of blood meals. In addition, Plasmodium falciparum DNA in mosquito abdomens was detected with polymerase chain reaction. The combined results were used to identify which humans were most frequently bitten, and the P. falciparum infection prevalence in mosquitoes that resulted from these blood meals.<br />Results: Anopheles females selected human hosts non-randomly and fed on more than one human in 9% of the blood meals. Few humans contributed most of the blood meals to the Anopheles vector population. Children ≤ 5 years old were under-represented in mosquito blood meals while older males (31-75 years old) were over-represented. However, the largest number of malaria-infected blood meals was from school age children (6-15 years old).<br />Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis that humans aged 6-15 years are the most important demographic group contributing to the transmission of P. falciparum to the Anopheles mosquito vectors. This conclusion suggests that malaria control and prevention programmes should enhance efforts targeting school-age children and males.<br /> (© 2023. The Author(s).)
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Animals
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
DNA blood
Genotype
Malaria blood
Malaria parasitology
Malaria prevention & control
Malaria transmission
Meals
Mosquito Vectors parasitology
Plasmodium falciparum genetics
Malawi
Anopheles parasitology
Malaria, Falciparum blood
Malaria, Falciparum parasitology
Malaria, Falciparum prevention & control
Malaria, Falciparum transmission
Blood parasitology
Host-Seeking Behavior
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1475-2875
- Volume :
- 22
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Malaria journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 37029433
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-023-04541-2