Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte density and infectivity in peripheral blood and skin tissue of naturally infected parasite carriers in Burkina Faso
Creators
- Bousema, Teun1
- Meibalan, Elamaran2
- Barry, Aissata3
- Gibbins, Matthew4
- Awandu, Shehu1
- Meerstein-Kessel, Lisette1
- Achar, Fiona4
- Bopp, Selina2
- Moxon, Christopher4
- Diarra, Amidou3
- Debe, Siaka3
- Ouedraogo, Nicolas3
- Barry-Some, Ines3
- Badoum, Emilie3
- Fagnima, Traore3
- Lanke, Kjerstin1
- Goncalves, Bronner5
- Bradley, John5
- Wirth, Dyann2
- Drakeley, Chris5
- Guelbeogo, Wamdaogo3
- Tiono, Alfred6
-
Marti, Matthias4
- Gibbins, Matthew P4
- Achcar, Fiona4
- Ouédraogo, Nicolas7
- Badoum, Emilie S7
- Fagnima, Traoré8
- Gonçalves, Bronner P5
- Guelbeogo, Wamdaogo Moussa7
- Tiono, Alfred B7
- 1. Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre
- 2. Harvard Medical School
- 3. African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development
- 4. University of Glasgow
- 5. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- 6. Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest
- 7. Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme
- 8. Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Régional de Ouahigoua, Université de Ouahigouya*
Description
Background
Plasmodium falciparum transmission depends on mature gametocytes that can be ingested by mosquitoes taking a blood meal on human skin. Although gametocyte skin sequestration has long been hypothesized as important contributor to efficient malaria transmission, this has never been formally tested.
MethodsIn naturally infected gametocyte carriers from Burkina Faso, we assessed infectivity to mosquitoes by direct skin feeding and membrane feeding. We directly quantified male and female gametocytes and asexual parasites in finger-prick and venous blood samples, skin biopsy samples, and in of mosquitoes that fed on venous blood or directly on skin. Gametocytes were visualized in skin tissue with confocal microscopy.
ResultsAlthough more mosquitoes became infected when feeding directly on skin then when feeding on venous blood (odds ratio, 2.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.21–3.33; P = .007), concentrations of gametocytes were not higher in the subdermal skin vasculature than in other blood compartments; only sparse gametocytes were observed in skin tissue.
DiscussionOur data strongly suggest that there is no significant skin sequestration of P. falciparum gametocytes. Gametocyte densities in peripheral blood are thus informative for predicting onward transmission potential to mosquitoes and can be used to target and monitor malaria elimination initiatives.
Notes
Files
Nanostring_normalised_scaled.csv
Files
(296.7 kB)
Name | Size | Download all |
---|---|---|
md5:a95d6b02a4baa727613560397ecb7f18
|
40.4 kB | Download |
md5:550d9023966ac8854b86cde77cce2fca
|
21.8 kB | Download |
md5:2e3b914eaddbd09671bbe8b9ff493a1c
|
234.5 kB | Preview Download |
Additional details
Related works
- Is cited by
- 10.1093/infdis/jiz680 (DOI)