Dryad
Published January 28, 2021 | Version v1
Dataset Open

Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte density and infectivity in peripheral blood and skin tissue of naturally infected parasite carriers in Burkina Faso

Creators

  • 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.

Methods

In 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.

Results

Although 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.

Discussion

Our 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

Funding provided by: European Research Council
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000781
Award Number: ERC-2014-StG 639776

Funding provided by: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000865
Award Number: INDIE OPP1173572

Funding provided by: National Institutes of Health
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000002
Award Number: R21AI117304-01A1

Funding provided by: European Research Council
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000781
Award Number: 2014-StG 639776

Funding provided by: Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: 016.158.306

Files

Nanostring_normalised_scaled.csv

Files (296.7 kB)

Additional details

Related works

Is cited by
10.1093/infdis/jiz680 (DOI)