Featured Publications
Malaria Resilience in South America: Epidemiology, Vector Biology, and Immunology Insights from the Amazonian International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research Network in Peru and Brazil
Torres K, Ferreira MU, Castro MC, Escalante AA, Conn JE, Villasis E, da Silva Araujo M, Almeida G, Rodrigues PT, Corder RM, Fernandes ARJ, Calil PR, Ladeia WA, Garcia-Castillo SS, Gomez J, do Valle Antonelli LR, Gazzinelli RT, Golenbock DT, Llanos-Cuentas A, Gamboa D, Vinetz JM. Malaria Resilience in South America: Epidemiology, Vector Biology, and Immunology Insights from the Amazonian International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research Network in Peru and Brazil. American Journal Of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene 2022, 107: 168-181. PMID: 36228921, PMCID: PMC9662219, DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.22-0127.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsImmune responseMalaria epidemiologyMalaria controlImportant public health priorityHuman immune responsePublic health priorityWestern Brazilian Amazon regionHealth priorityHuman reservoirSociodemographic featuresMalaria researchEpidemiologyMultidisciplinary approachRapid reemergenceVector biologyElimination strategyResearch NetworkMalaria vectorsInternational CentreFurther researchBrazilian Amazon regionSouth AmericaMalariaImmunologyResponseInsights into Plasmodium vivax Asymptomatic Malaria Infections and Direct Skin-Feeding Assays to Assess Onward Malaria Transmission in the Amazon.
Moreno M, Torres K, Tong C, García Castillo SS, Carrasco-Escobar G, Guedez G, Torres L, Herrera-Varela M, Guerra L, Guzman-Guzman M, Wong D, Ramirez R, Llanos-Cuentas A, Conn JE, Gamboa D, Vinetz JM. Insights into Plasmodium vivax Asymptomatic Malaria Infections and Direct Skin-Feeding Assays to Assess Onward Malaria Transmission in the Amazon. American Journal Of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene 2022, 107: 154-161. PMID: 35895359, PMCID: PMC9294676, DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1217.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAnophelesAsymptomatic InfectionsCohort StudiesHumansMalariaMalaria, VivaxMosquito VectorsPlasmodium vivaxConceptsDirect skin feeding assaysMalaria infectionP. vivax malaria infectionsAsymptomatic malaria infectionsVivax malaria infectionMosquito feeding assaysDiverse epidemiological settingsCohort studySymptomatic infectionAsymptomatic individualsAsymptomatic infectionSymptomatic participantsParasite carriersPlasmodium vivaxEpidemiological settingsMalaria transmissionPlasmodium gametocytesInfectionMajor mosquito vectorsDisease transmissibilityParasite infectionLongitudinal studyMosquito vectorsInfection intensityInfectivity
2024
Effect of spatiotemporal variables on abundance, biting activity and parity of Nyssorhynchus darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) in peri-Iquitos, Peru
Bickersmith S, Saavedra M, Prussing C, Lange R, Morales J, Alava F, Vinetz J, Gamboa D, Moreno M, Conn J. Effect of spatiotemporal variables on abundance, biting activity and parity of Nyssorhynchus darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) in peri-Iquitos, Peru. Malaria Journal 2024, 23: 112. PMID: 38641572, PMCID: PMC11031940, DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04940-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAnophelesBites and StingsFemaleHumansMalariaMalaria, FalciparumMalaria, VivaxMosquito VectorsPeruPlasmodiumSeasonsConceptsMalaria transmissionBreeding site availabilityPresence of Plasmodium vivaxDry seasonBiting behaviorRisk of malaria transmissionMalaria-endemic regionsHuman malaria casesPlasmodium falciparum sporozoitesRainy seasonCommunity typesNyssorhynchus darlingiRates of parityReal-time PCRAmazonian PeruP. vivaxMalaria casesPlasmodium vivaxHuman landing catchesP. falciparumEffect of seasonMosquito behaviorConclusionsThese dataDaily survivalDarlingi
2023
Mutations Linked to Insecticide Resistance Not Detected in the Ace-1 or VGSC Genes in Nyssorhynchus darlingi from Multiple Localities in Amazonian Brazil and Peru
Bickersmith S, Jurczynski J, Sallum M, Chaves L, Bergo E, Rodriguez G, Morante C, Rios C, Saavedra M, Alava F, Gamboa D, Vinetz J, Conn J. Mutations Linked to Insecticide Resistance Not Detected in the Ace-1 or VGSC Genes in Nyssorhynchus darlingi from Multiple Localities in Amazonian Brazil and Peru. Genes 2023, 14: 1892. PMID: 37895241, PMCID: PMC10606710, DOI: 10.3390/genes14101892.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsIndoor residual sprayMalaria endemic localitiesLow-intensity resistanceResistance mechanismsMalaria hotspotsCommon interventionInsecticidal netsMain resistance mechanismMalaria transmissionGenotypic detectionCodon 280Resistance mutationsEndemic localitiesPrimary malaria vectorVoltage-gated sodium channel geneResidual spraySodium channel geneChannel genesNon-synonymous mutationsACEPresent studyMalaria vectorsInterventionMutationsS6 segment
2022
Evidence-Based Malaria Control and Elimination in the Amazon: Input from the International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research Network in Peru and Brazil
Ferreira MU, Gamboa D, Torres K, Rodriguez-Ferrucci H, Soto-Calle VE, Pardo K, Fontoura PS, Tomko SS, Gazzinelli RT, Conn JE, Castro MC, Llanos-Cuentas A, Vinetz JM. Evidence-Based Malaria Control and Elimination in the Amazon: Input from the International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research Network in Peru and Brazil. American Journal Of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene 2022, 107: 160-167. PMID: 36228907, PMCID: PMC9662230, DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1272.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMalaria controlAsymptomatic Plasmodium infectionsPredominant malaria parasitePublic health decision makersMalaria control strategiesPublic health implicationsIndoor residual sprayingBetter malaria controlHealth decision makersVector control measuresPlasmodium infectionInfectious reservoirMalaria burdenPlasmodium vivaxBed netsPublic health policymakingElimination programMalaria parasitesResidual sprayingMalaria researchHealth implicationsNyssorhynchus darlingiDiagnostic methodsHealth policymakingResearch NetworkStructure–function analysis of cysteine residues in the plasmodium falciparum chitinase, PfCHT1
Kaur H, Garber L, Murphy JW, Vinetz JM. Structure–function analysis of cysteine residues in the plasmodium falciparum chitinase, PfCHT1. Protein Science 2022, 31: e4289. PMID: 35481637, PMCID: PMC8994504, DOI: 10.1002/pro.4289.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPutative chitin-binding domainChitin-binding domainPlasmodium ookinetesProtein-protein interactionsRecombinant protein productionIntermolecular protein-protein interactionsMosquito midgut invasionStructure-function analysisEnzymatic activityIntramolecular disulfide linkagesIntermolecular disulfide bondingChitin-containing peritrophic matrixParasite cladesMidgut invasionPeritrophic matrixCysteine residuesProtein productionChitinase activityBiochemical studiesDisulfide bondingUnpaired cysteineChitinaseMalaria parasitesE. coliMutantsNyssorhynchus darlingi genome-wide studies related to microgeographic dispersion and blood-seeking behavior
Alvarez M, Alonso D, Kadri S, Rufalco-Moutinho P, Bernardes I, de Mello A, Souto A, Carrasco-Escobar G, Moreno M, Gamboa D, Vinetz J, Conn J, Ribolla P. Nyssorhynchus darlingi genome-wide studies related to microgeographic dispersion and blood-seeking behavior. Parasites & Vectors 2022, 15: 106. PMID: 35346342, PMCID: PMC8961893, DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05219-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAnophelesDisease VectorsFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyMalariaMosquito VectorsConceptsGenome-wide association studiesSingle nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markersGenome-wide studiesLow-coverage whole-genome sequencingGenomic sequencing dataMajor malaria vectorCircadian rhythm genesFemale timingPopulation stratification analysisWhole-genome sequencingMicrogeographic scaleSNP markersPolymorphism markersPopulation structureSequencing dataAssociation studiesInsecticide resistanceDusk/dawnRhythm genesGenotype imputationGenesFemale mosquitoesMalaria vectorsBlood mealGenetic association
2021
Integrating Parasitological and Entomological Observations to Understand Malaria Transmission in Riverine Villages in the Peruvian Amazon
Rosas-Aguirre A, Moreno M, Moreno-Gutierrez D, Llanos-Cuentas A, Saavedra M, Contreras-Mancilla J, Barboza J, Alava F, Aguirre K, Carrasco G, Prussing C, Vinetz J, Conn JE, Speybroeck N, Gamboa D. Integrating Parasitological and Entomological Observations to Understand Malaria Transmission in Riverine Villages in the Peruvian Amazon. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2021, 223: s99-s110. PMID: 33906225, PMCID: PMC8079135, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa496.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMalaria prevalenceMalaria transmissionRiverine villagesMalaria risk factorsMalaria transmission dynamicsSubmicroscopic infectionsLocal epidemiologyPolymerase chain reactionIncidence rateRisk factorsHigh prevalenceMalaria casesTreat interventionMalaria strategyPlasmodium vivaxPrevalenceChain reactionTransmission dynamicsAdult AnophelesHigh heterogeneityEcology and larval population dynamics of the primary malaria vector Nyssorhynchus darlingi in a high transmission setting dominated by fish farming in western Amazonian Brazil
Rufalco-Moutinho P, Kadri S, Alonso D, Moreno M, Carrasco-Escobar G, Prussing C, Gamboa D, Vinetz JM, Sallum M, Conn JE, Ribolla P. Ecology and larval population dynamics of the primary malaria vector Nyssorhynchus darlingi in a high transmission setting dominated by fish farming in western Amazonian Brazil. PLOS ONE 2021, 16: e0246215. PMID: 33831004, PMCID: PMC8031405, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246215.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAnophelesAquacultureBrazilLarvaMalariaMosquito VectorsPondsPopulation DynamicsSeasonsConceptsHigh transmission settingsHigh human densityHuman biting rateMalaria transmission hotspotsWestern Amazonian BrazilLocal malaria burdenLarval population dynamicsAquatic vegetationLandscape typesHuman densitySame sampling periodMalaria burdenRural landscapesTransmission settingsDarlingi larvaeWestern AcrePopulation maintenanceUrban landscapeAdult samplingMain malaria vectorBreeding sitesLandscape profileDry seasonMalaria vector speciesPopulation dynamicsNew Records of Anopheles benarrochi B (Diptera: Culicidae) in Malaria Hotspots in the Amazon Regions of Ecuador and Peru
Viteri D, Herrera-Varela M, Albuja M, Quiroga C, Diaz G, del Aguila Morante C, Ramirez D, Vinetz J, Bickersmith S, Conn J. New Records of Anopheles benarrochi B (Diptera: Culicidae) in Malaria Hotspots in the Amazon Regions of Ecuador and Peru. Journal Of Medical Entomology 2021, 58: 1234-1240. PMID: 33511394, PMCID: PMC8349109, DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa293.Peer-Reviewed Original Research