# name
Infection of Anopheles aquasalis from symptomatic and
                asymptomatic Plasmodium vivax infections in Manaus, western
                Brazilian Amazon

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic individuals are one of the major
                challenges for malaria elimination programs in endemic areas. In
                the absence of clinical symptoms and with a lower parasite
                density they constitute silent reservoirs considered important
                for maintaining transmission of human malaria. Studies from
                Brazil have shown that infected individuals may carry these
                parasites for long periods. RESULTS: Patients were selected from
                three periurban endemic areas of the city of Manaus, in the
                western Brazilian Amazon. Symptomatic and asymptomatic patients
                with positive thick blood smear and quantitative real-time PCR
                (qPCR) positive for Plasmodium vivax were invited to participate
                in the study. A standardised pvs25 gene amplification by qPCR
                was used for P. vivax gametocytes detection. Anopheles aquasalis
                were fed using membrane feeding assays (MFA) containing blood
                from malaria patients. Parasitemia of 42 symptomatic and 25
                asymptomatic individuals was determined by microscopic
                examination of blood smears and qPCR. Parasitemia density and
                gametocyte density were assessed as determinants of infection
                rates and oocysts densities. A strong correlation between
                gametocyte densities (microscopy and molecular techniques) and
                mosquito infectivity (P < 0.001) and oocysts median numbers
                (P < 0.05) was found in both groups. The ability to infect
                mosquitoes was higher in the symptomatic group (41%), but
                infectivity in the asymptomatic group was also seen (1.42%).
                CONCLUSIONS: Although their infectivity to mosquitoes is
                relatively low, given the high prevalence of P. vivax
                asymptomatic carriers they are likely to play and important role
                in malaria transmission in the city of Manaus. The role of
                asymptomatic infections therefore needs to be considered in
                future malaria elimination programs in Brazil.

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (ISGlobal)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Infection of Anopheles aquasalis from symptomatic and
                asymptomatic Plasmodium vivax infections in Manaus, western
                Brazilian Amazon