In:
eLife, eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, Vol. 4 ( 2015-12-29)
Abstract:
Swaziland has set a national goal of eliminating malaria transmission in the very short term, which would make it the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to do so. More than half of the cases of malaria that are observed in Swaziland are caused by infections picked up by travelers while they were in other countries where the disease is much more prevalent. The other cases – people who became infected in Swaziland – are the cases that the government of Swaziland is trying to prevent. If Swaziland is going to eliminate malaria, it will need to identify any places where the malaria parasites are still spreading throughout the population so it can target those communities with effective prevention measures. It will also need to manage the risk that infections imported from abroad may re-start transmission in places where it has been stopped. To work out how likely it is that a malaria infection will be transmitted by mosquitoes in a particular place, researchers can look at past malaria data and calculate how many new infections are caused by each case. Reiner et al. have now produced a computer model that estimates how this number varies across Swaziland, highlighting places where the government is going to need to focus efforts to eliminate malaria. The model shows that in some rural areas near Mozambique, each individual infected with malaria is causing more than one other person to become infected. This confirms that the disease has not yet been eliminated from these areas. However, in other regions of the country, malaria rarely spreads between individuals. The detailed regional information from the model may help public health authorities in Swaziland better target their anti-malaria resources. In large cities where most cases are imported, Reiner et al. suggest focusing resources on providing preventive treatment to travelers who plan on visiting places where malaria is spreading. However, in rural areas where malaria continues to spread, preventively treating the whole population or providing them with tools to protect them from mosquitoes might be more appropriate. Similar considerations of regional differences in the spread of malaria could also help other countries to more effectively combat the disease.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2050-084X
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.001
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.002
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.003
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.004
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.005
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.006
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.007
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.008
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.009
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.010
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.09520.011
Language:
English
Publisher:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Publication Date:
2015
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2687154-3
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