A comprehensive analysis of malaria transmission in Brazil
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Christophides, George
Rona, Luisa
Cechetto Carlos, Bianca
Souza-Neto, Jayme
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Malaria remains a serious public health problem in Brazil despite a significant drop in the number of cases in the past decade. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of malaria transmission in Brazil to highlight the epidemiologically most relevant components that could help tackle the disease. We consider factors impacting on the malaria burden and transmission dynamics including the geographical occurrence of both autochthonous and imported infections, the distribution and abundance of malaria vectors and records of natural mosquito infections with Plasmodium. Our analysis identifies three discrete malaria transmission systems related to the Amazon rainforest, Atlantic rainforest and Brazilian coast, respectively. The Amazonian system accounts for 99% of all malaria cases in the country. It is largely due to autochthonous P. vivax and P. falciparum transmission by mosquitoes of the Nyssorhynchus subgenus, primarily Anopheles darlingi. Whilst P. vivax transmission is widespread, P. falciparum transmission is restricted to hotspot areas mostly in the States of Amazonas and Acre. This system is the major source of P. vivax exportation to the extra-Amazonian regions that are also affected by importation of P. falciparum from Africa. The Atlantic system comprises autochthonous P. vivax transmission typically by the bromeliad-associated mosquitoes An. cruzii and An. bellator of the Kerteszia subgenus. An. cruzii also transmits simian malaria parasites to humans. The third, widespread but geographically fragmented, system is found along the Brazilian coast and comprises P. vivax transmission mainly by An. aquasalis. We conclude that these geographically and biologically distinct malaria transmission systems require specific strategies for effective disease control.
Date Issued
2019-03-04
Date Acceptance
2019-02-07
Citation
Pathogens and Global Health, 2019, 113 (1), pp.1-13
ISSN
2047-7724
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Start Page
1
End Page
13
Journal / Book Title
Pathogens and Global Health
Volume
113
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Sponsor
Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Royal Society
Grant Number
097816/Z/11/B
107983/Z/15/Z
NF161472
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Parasitology
Tropical Medicine
Malaria transmission
Amazon rainforest
Atlantic rainforest
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium falciparum
Anopheles
Malaria hotspots
bromeliad malaria
RIO-DE-JANEIRO
PLASMODIUM-VIVAX
SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION
DIPTERA-CULICIDAE
ANOPHELES-GAMBIAE
ATLANTIC FOREST
HUMAN MIGRATION
SIMIAN MALARIA
AMAZON REGION
ENDEMIC AREA
Amazon rainforest
Atlantic rainforest
Malaria hotspots
Malaria transmission
bromeliad malaria
Animals
Brazil
Emigration and Immigration
Geography, Medical
Humans
Malaria
Malaria, Falciparum
Malaria, Vivax
Mosquito Vectors
Rainforest
Transients and Migrants
Animals
Humans
Malaria
Malaria, Falciparum
Malaria, Vivax
Emigration and Immigration
Transients and Migrants
Brazil
Geography, Medical
Rainforest
Mosquito Vectors
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2019-03-04