AUTHOR=Timinao Lincoln , Vinit Rebecca , Katusele Michelle , Koleala Tamarah , Nate Elma , Czeher Cyrille , Burkot Thomas R. , Schofield Louis , Felger Ingrid , Mueller Ivo , Laman Moses , Robinson Leanne J. , Karl Stephan 

TITLE=Infectivity of Symptomatic Malaria Patients to Anopheles farauti Colony Mosquitoes in Papua New Guinea

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2021.771233

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2021.771233

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Plasmodium</italic> transmission from humans to mosquitoes is an understudied bottleneck in the transmission of malaria. Direct membrane feeding assays (DMFA) allow detailed malaria transmission studies from humans to mosquitoes. Especially for <italic>Plasmodium vivax</italic>, which cannot be cultured long-term under laboratory conditions, implementation of DMFAs requires proximity to <italic>P. vivax</italic> endemic areas. In this study, we investigated the infectivity of symptomatic <italic>Plasmodium</italic> infections to <italic>Anopheles farauti</italic> colony mosquitoes in Papua New Guinea (PNG). A total of 182 DMFAs were performed with venous blood collected from rapid diagnostic test (RDT) positive symptomatic malaria patients and subsequently analysed by light microscopy and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). DMFAs resulted in mosquito infections in 20.9% (38/182) of cases. By light microscopy and qPCR, 10 – 11% of <italic>P. falciparum</italic> and 32 – 44% of <italic>P. vivax</italic> positive individuals infected <italic>An. farauti</italic>. Fifty-eight percent of <italic>P. vivax</italic> and 15% of <italic>P. falciparum</italic> gametocytaemic infections infected <italic>An farauti</italic>.</p>