Incidence of malaria among mosquito collectors conducting human landing catches in western Kenya

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 Feb;88(2):301-8. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0209. Epub 2012 Dec 18.

Abstract

The human landing catch (HLC) has long been the gold standard for estimating malaria transmission by mosquitoes, but has come under scrutiny because of ethical concerns of exposing collectors to infectious bites. We estimated the incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in a cohort of 152 persons conducting HLCs and compared it with that of 147 non-collectors in western Kenya. Participants were presumptively cleared of malaria with Coartem™ (artemether-lumefantrine) and tested for malaria every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. The HLC collections were conducted four nights per week for six weeks. Collectors were provided chemoprophylaxis with Malarone™ (atovaquone-proguanil) during the six weeks of HLC activities and one week after HLC activities were completed. The incidence of malaria was 96.6% lower in collectors than in non-collectors (hazard ratio = 0.034, P < 0.0001). Therefore, with proper prophylaxis, concern about increased risk of malaria among collectors should not be an impediment to conducting HLC studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Atovaquone / therapeutic use
  • Cohort Studies
  • Drug Combinations
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Kenya / epidemiology
  • Logistic Models
  • Malaria, Falciparum / epidemiology*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / prevention & control*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Proguanil / therapeutic use
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Drug Combinations
  • atovaquone, proguanil drug combination
  • Proguanil
  • Atovaquone