About this Research Topic
Vector control has been at the forefront of malaria control activities. Over the last decade application of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) has led to substantial reduction (>60%) in the burden of the disease in many disease endemic settings. This remarkable progress rekindled interest and ambitious endeavor to ‘eliminate’ malaria from many endemic countries.
Despite the effectiveness of these cost-effective tools, the disease persists in many communities. This has led to the realization that malaria elimination dependent on these tools will be daunting even if applied at universal coverage against a fully insecticide susceptible vector population. This persistent transmission dubbed ‘residual malaria transmission, RMT’ characterized by all forms of transmission beyond the reach of LLINS and IRS when used optimally, has been attributed to a myriad of factors including growing resistance to available insecticides by mosquito vector populations and vector behavior changes relating to biting times and location i.e., early and outdoor biting behavior. Outdoor transmission alone is predicted to result in an estimated 10.6 M additional malaria cases annually across Africa, if universal LLIN and IRS coverage was achieved.
Changes in vector composition and appraisal of the role of secondary vectors are added factors impacting RMT although this remains poorly assessed in many communities. This article collection seeks to highlight challenges in our understanding of the vectorial systems relating to RMT as well as the development of alternative approaches at the research frontiers to bridge the existing gaps posed by RMT.
The following sub-topics are of particular interest to this collection:
- Insecticide resistance; trends and management strategies among Afrotropical malaria vectors
- Non-insecticide-based cattle targeted interventions for sustainable control of malaria vectors
- Olfactory based control of malaria vectors
-Anthropological insights into Residual malaria transmission
Other topics falling under the overall scope of this collection are also welcome.
Despite the effectiveness of these cost-effective tools, the disease persists in many communities. This has led to the realization that malaria elimination dependent on these tools will be daunting even if applied at universal coverage against a fully insecticide susceptible vector population. This persistent transmission dubbed ‘residual malaria transmission, RMT’ characterized by all forms of transmission beyond the reach of LLINS and IRS when used optimally, has been attributed to a myriad of factors including growing resistance to available insecticides by mosquito vector populations and vector behavior changes relating to biting times and location i.e., early and outdoor biting behavior. Outdoor transmission alone is predicted to result in an estimated 10.6 M additional malaria cases annually across Africa, if universal LLIN and IRS coverage was achieved.
Changes in vector composition and appraisal of the role of secondary vectors are added factors impacting RMT although this remains poorly assessed in many communities. This article collection seeks to highlight challenges in our understanding of the vectorial systems relating to RMT as well as the development of alternative approaches at the research frontiers to bridge the existing gaps posed by RMT.
The following sub-topics are of particular interest to this collection:
- Insecticide resistance; trends and management strategies among Afrotropical malaria vectors
- Non-insecticide-based cattle targeted interventions for sustainable control of malaria vectors
- Olfactory based control of malaria vectors
-Anthropological insights into Residual malaria transmission
Other topics falling under the overall scope of this collection are also welcome.
Keywords: residual malaria transmission, vector control, insecticide resistance, RMT
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