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In a study published today, London, the Netherlands and Burkina Faso researchers show that low-level malaria carriers are the likely source of 20–50 percent of all human-to-mosquito transmissions, according to an Imperial College of London news release Dec. 4.The study, “Factors determining the occurrence of submicroscopic malaria infections and their relevance for control” was published today in the online journal Nature Communications.Researchers gathered data from more than 100 surveys from endemic countries, which tested for malaria using both sensitive molecular techniques and routine microscopy.The more sensitive PCR method detects on average twice as many malaria infections, showing that low-level, submicroscopic infection is common.In addition, although these low-level carriers are less likely to transmit the malaria parasite than someone with a heavy infection, in certain geographic areas, there are so many of these people that they are likely to be a significant source of transmission.Lead author of the study, Dr. Lucy Okell, from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modeling at the Imperial College London said, “The data show that low-density, submicroscopic malaria infections are most common in areas with low levels of malaria transmission, which is surprising since people are less likely to have immunity from previous malaria attacks.“Control programs are increasingly considering the use of screen and treat programs, and our results suggest that in some areas it may be worth investing in more sensitive diagnostic methods.”For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
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