Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35978415›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2022

A statistical calibration tool for methods used to sample outdoor-biting mosquitoes.

Halfan S Ngowo, Alex J Limwagu, Heather M Ferguson, Jason Matthiopoulos, Fredros O Okumu, Luca Nelli

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Halfan S NgowoDepartment of Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania. hngowo@ihi.or.tz.
Alex J LimwaguDepartment of Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Heather M FergusonDepartment of Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Jason MatthiopoulosInstitute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Fredros O OkumuDepartment of Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Luca NelliInstitute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Ifakara Health Institute · TZUniversity of Glasgow · GBNelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology · TZ

Funding

Howard Hughes Medical Institute OPP1099295Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 102350
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundImproved methods for sampling outdoor-biting mosquitoes are urgently needed to improve surveillance of vector-borne diseases. Such tools could potentially replace the human landing catch (HLC), which, despite being the most direct option for measuring human exposures, raises significant ethical and logistical concerns. Several alternatives are under development, but detailed evaluation still requires common frameworks for calibration relative to HLC. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a statistical framework for predicting human-biting rates from different exposure-free alternatives.

methodsWe obtained mosquito abundance data (Anopheles arabiensis, Anopheles funestus and Culex spp.) from a year-long Tanzanian study comparing six outdoor traps [Suna Trap (SUN), BG Sentinel (BGS), M-Trap (MTR), M-Trap + CDC (MTRC), Ifakara Tent Trap-C (ITT-C) and Mosquito Magnet-X Trap (MMX)] and HLC. Generalised linear models were developed within a Bayesian framework to investigate associations between the traps and HLC, taking intra- and inter-specific density dependence into account. The best model was used to create a calibration tool for predicting HLC-equivalents.

resultsFor An. arabiensis, SUN catches had the strongest correlation with HLC (R

conclusionWe successfully developed a calibration tool to assess the performance of different traps for assessing outdoor-biting risk, and established a valuable framework for estimating human exposures based on the trap catches. The performance of candidate traps varied between mosquito taxa; thus, there was no single optimum. Although all the traps tested underestimated the HLC-derived exposures, it was possible to mathematically define their representativeness of the true biting risk, with or without density dependence. The results of this study emphasise the need to aim for a consistent and representative sampling approach, as opposed to simply seeking traps that catch the most mosquitoes.

Indexed as

AnophelesCulexAnimalsBayes TheoremCalibrationEntomologyHumansMosquito ControlMosquito VectorsBiting ratesCalibration toolDensity dependenceMosquitoesOutdoorSampling methods

Identifiers

PMID35978415
PMCPMC9386948
OpenAlexW4292114700

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.