Nonrandom selection and multiple blood feeding of human hosts by <em>Anopheles </em>vectors: implications for malaria transmission in Papua New Guinea (Publications)
feeding of human hosts by Anopheles mosquitoes may exacerbate malaria transmission. Both patterns of blood feeding and their relationship to malaria epidemiology were investigated in Anopheles vectors in Papua [...] mosquito was determined by matching the blood-meal genetic profile to the villagers' genetic profiles. Malaria infection in humans was determined by PCR test of blood samples. The results show nonrandom distribution [...] infection was higher in this age group, suggesting males in...
Infectivity of symptomatic malaria patients to <em>Anopheles farauti</em> colony mosquitoes in Papua New Guinea (Publications)
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 Plasmodium [...] 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
Emulator-based Bayesian optimization for efficient multi-objective calibration of an individual-based model of malaria (Publications)
framework employing Gaussian process or machine learning emulator functions to calibrate a complex malaria transmission simulator. We demonstrate our approach by optimizing over a high-dimensional parameter [...] a portfolio of multiple fitting objectives built from datasets capturing the natural history of malaria transmission and disease progression. Our approach quickly outperforms previous calibrations, yielding
The 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 is an essential upstream activator of protein kinase A in malaria parasites (Publications)
t protein kinase A (PKA) signalling is essential for the proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum malaria blood stage parasites. The mechanisms regulating the activity of the catalytic subunit PfPKAc, however [...] function has not been investigated in gametocytes, the sexual blood stage forms that are essential for malaria transmission. By studying a conditional PfPKAc knockdown (cKD) mutant, we confirm the essential role
Effect of interventions to reduce malaria incidence among military personnel on active duty: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial... (Publications)
studies assessing the impact on malaria infection. This study will estimate the protective efficacy of treated uniforms and DEET insect repellent on the incidence of malaria infection among military personnel [...] placebo-controlled trial is planned to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions on preventing malaria infections in soldiers on active duty at Mgambo National Service Camp in Tanga, Tanzania. The arms [...] untreated uniforms with placebo lotion. The primary outcome is the...
Insights from modelling malaria vaccines for policy decisions: the focus on RTS,S (Publications)
ns. This review illustrates the utility of simulation approaches by reviewing the literature on malaria vaccine modelling, with a focus on its link to the development of policy guidance for the first licensed
Prevalence and risk factors for malaria in pregnancy in Vanga, Democratic Republic of Congo (Publications)
(DRC) is the second most malarious country in the world, but little information is available on malaria control measures in pregnancy. We conducted a longitudinal study among 395 women pregnant with singletons [...] Vanga Health Zone, Kwilu Province. We recruited 406 pregnant women between April and October 2019. Malaria prevalence at recruitment was 18.8% in Vanga and 30.1% in Mayoko (difference p
Delayed cerebellar ataxia, a rare post-malaria neurological complication: case report and review of the literature (Publications)
Delayed cerebellar ataxia (DCA) is a rare post-malarial neurological complication with unknown pathomechanism characterized by its self-limiting course and favorable outcome. We report a case of DCA f
Regulation of sexual commitment in malaria parasites - a complex affair (Publications)
Malaria blood stage parasites commit to either one of two distinct cellular fates while developing within erythrocytes of their mammalian host: they either undergo another round of asexual replication [...] may support or impair the ultimate goal of human-to-human transmission via the mosquito vector. Malaria parasites therefore evolved strategies to control investments into asexual proliferation versus [...] underlying the control and environmental modulation of sexual commitment in the two...