Malaria Foci

What is a malaria focus?

Author
Affiliation

David L Smith

University of Washington

Constructing Foci

In the following, we will construct simple foci to illustrate some specific features of real systems:

  • A rural focus

  • An urban focus

  • A seasonally oscillating focus

  • Non-focal transmission

An important idea in malaria is the idea of a hotspot or focus. Very little of the work that has been done on malaria foci has been quantitative. A common theme is that

Chronology

  1. Ross’s first model described a spatial aspect of mosquito control [1].

  2. Richard Carter and colleagues collected some data to review spatial targeting [2]

  3. Richard Carter describes spatial microsimulation [3]

  4. [4]

  5. Bousema write a short review of hotspots and foci [5]

  6. Cluster randomized trial showed “the impact of interventions targeting malaria vectors and human infections on parasite prevalence was modest, transient, and restricted to the targeted hotspot areas.” [6]

  • Analysis of data from continuous surveillance of malaria around Kilifi, Kenya (on the coast). [7,8]

References

1.
Ross R. The logical basis of the sanitary policy of mosquito reduction. Science. 1905;22: 689–699. doi:10.1126/science.22.570.689
2.
Carter R, Mendis KN, Roberts D. Spatial targeting of interventions against malaria. Bull World Health Organ. 2000;78: 1401–1411. Available: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=11196487&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks
3.
Carter R. Spatial simulation of malaria transmission and its control by malaria transmission blocking vaccination. International Journal for Parasitology. 2002;32: 1617–1624. doi:10.1016/S0020-7519(02)00190-X
4.
Bousema T, Drakeley C, Gesase S, Hashim R, Magesa S, Mosha F, et al. Identification of Hot Spots of Malaria Transmission for Targeted Malaria Control. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2010;201: 1764–1774. doi:10.1086/652456
5.
Bousema T, Griffin JT, Sauerwein RW, Smith DL, Churcher TS, Takken W, et al. Hitting Hotspots: Spatial Targeting of Malaria for Control and Elimination. PLoS Medicine. 2012;9: e1001165. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001165.t001
6.
Bousema T, Stresman G, Baidjoe AY, Bradley J, Knight P, Stone W, et al. The Impact of Hotspot-Targeted Interventions on Malaria Transmission in Rachuonyo South District in the Western Kenyan Highlands: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. PLOS Medicine. 2016;13: e1001993. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001993
7.
Bejon P, Williams TN, Liljander A, Noor AM, Wambua J, Ogada E, et al. Stable and unstable malaria hotspots in longitudinal cohort studies in Kenya. PLoS Med. 2010;7: e1000304. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000304
8.
Bejon P, Williams TN, Nyundo C, Hay SI, Benz D, Gething PW, et al. A micro-epidemiological analysis of febrile malaria in Coastal Kenya showing hotspots within hotspots. eLife. 2014;3: e02130. doi:10.7554/eLife.02130