Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Arthur Sovi

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Guest Editor

Disease Control Department, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Interests: LLINs; IRS; insecticide resistance; malaria transmission

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Malaria remains a global public health issue, with approximately 234 million cases in 2021. A particularly high rebound of 13 million cases was observed between 2019 and 2020 due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The vectors that transmit the disease are Anopheles mosquitoes, and the deadliest parasite is P. falciparum.

As malaria is a mosquito-borne disease, the main strategies deployed for preventing its spread include insecticide-based vector control tools such as: indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). Given the global burden of the disease, despite the efforts deployed for controlling it, much remains to be done. One of the obstacles that could undermine the efficacy of these vector control tools is vector resistance to insecticides. This phenomenon is a growing concern as its intensity is becoming higher in vector populations. This emphasizes the need for researching insecticides with a new mode of action for the improved control of resistant malaria vectors.

This Special Issue on the global burden of malaria and its control strategies will focus on investigating the efficacy of alternative insecticides to traditional neurotoxic ones; insecticide resistance in malaria vectors (intensity and mechanisms involved); phase 2 and 3 effectiveness of vector control tools, including new ones; and malaria transmission and factors involved.

Dr. Arthur Sovi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

LLINs
IRS
insecticide resistance
resistance mechanisms
malaria transmission

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

House Screening Reduces Exposure to Indoor Host-Seeking and Biting Malaria Vectors: Evidence from Rural South-East Zambia

by Kochelani Saili, Christiaan de Jager, Freddie Masaninga, Onyango P. Sangoro, Theresia E. Nkya, Likulunga Emmanuel Likulunga, Jacob Chirwa, Busiku Hamainza, Emmanuel Chanda, Ulrike Fillinger and Clifford Maina Mutero

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9010020 - 15 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1514

Abstract

This study evaluated the impact of combining house screens with long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) on mosquito host-seeking, resting, and biting behavior. Intervention houses received house screens and LLINs, while control houses received only LLINs. Centre for Disease Control light traps, pyrethrum spray collections and human landing catches were used to assess the densities of indoor and outdoor host-seeking, indoor resting, and biting behavior of malaria vectors in 15 sentinel houses per study arm per sampling method. The protective efficacy of screens and LLINs was estimated through entomological inoculation rates (EIRs). There were 68% fewer indoor host-seeking Anopheles funestus (RR = 0.32, 95% CI 0.20–0.51, p < 0.05) and 63% fewer An. arabiensis (RR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.22–0.61, p < 0.05) in screened houses than unscreened houses. There was a significantly higher indoor biting rate for unscreened houses (6.75 bites/person/h [b/p/h]) than for screened houses (0 b/p/h) (χ² = 6.67, df = 1, p < 0.05). The estimated indoor EIR in unscreened houses was 2.91 infectious bites/person/six months, higher than that in screened houses (1.88 infectious bites/person/six months). Closing eaves and screening doors and windows has the potential to reduce indoor densities of malaria vectors and malaria transmission. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Global Burden of Malaria and Control Strategies)

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20 pages, 6272 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Stratification and Adaptation of Malaria Control Interventions in Chad

by Mahamat Idriss Djaskano, Mady Cissoko, Mahamat Saleh Issakha Diar, Demba Kodindo Israel, Kerah Hinzoumbé Clément, Aicha Mohamed Ali, Makido Dormbaye, Issa Mahamat Souleymane, Adam Batrane and Issaka Sagara

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(9), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8090450 - 15 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1324

Abstract

Malaria remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Chad. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that endemic countries stratify malaria to guide interventions. Thus, the Republic of Chad has initiated a stratification process based on malaria incidence with the aim of defining transmission risk and proposing interventions. We collected routine malaria data from health facilities from 2017–2021, the national survey on malaria indicators, the entomological data of NMCP operational research, the demographic and health surveys, and remote sensing of environmental data. Stratification was based on the adjusted incidence of malaria to guide interventions. The adjusted incidence of malaria was, on average, 374 cases per 1000 people in the country. However, it varied according to health districts. Health districts were stratified into very low malaria incidence (n = 25), low malaria incidence (n = 20), moderate malaria incidence (n = 46) and high malaria incidence (n = 38). Micro-stratification in health districts with very low incidence was carried out to identify districts with incidence <10 cases per 1000 person with a view to a malaria pre-elimination programme. Appropriate malaria control interventions were proposed based on the strata identified. Stratification enables the country to target interventions to accelerate the reduction of the burden caused by malaria with a pre-elimination goal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Global Burden of Malaria and Control Strategies)

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