Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39985008›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2025

Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte burden in a Tanzanian heterogeneous transmission setting.

Charles Mulamba, Olukayode G Odufuwa, Prisca A Kweyamba, Linda O Lazaro, Muhamed S Chabo, Janeth J Kamage, Katharina Kreppel, Ally I Olotu, Chris L Williams

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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  5. Seroprevalence of antibodies toFrontiers in immunology · 2025
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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

9 authors.

Charles MulambaIfakara Health Institute, 74, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Olukayode G OdufuwaIfakara Health Institute, 74, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Prisca A KweyambaIfakara Health Institute, 74, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Linda O LazaroIfakara Health Institute, 74, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Muhamed S ChaboIfakara Health Institute, 74, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Janeth J KamageIfakara Health Institute, 74, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Katharina KreppelNelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Tengeru, P. O. Box, 447, Arusha, Tanzania.
Ally I OlotuIfakara Health Institute, 74, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Chris L WilliamsTransmission-Blocking Malaria Vaccine Group, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK. chris.williams@ndm.ox.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMalaria transmission depends on the presence of gametocytes in the peripheral blood of infected human hosts. Understanding malaria infectious reservoirs enables transmission-blocking interventions to target the most important hosts for the disease. This study characterized the distribution of gametocyte carriage as a baseline for the clinical evaluation of a Pfs25-based transmission-blocking vaccine candidate in Bagamoyo, Tanzania.

methodsA malaria survey was conducted in five locations from May to August 2022. A total of 467 participants-192 children (5-12 years), 65 adolescents (13-17 years) and 210 adults (18-45 years)-were enrolled. Malaria was detected using three methods: rapid diagnostic tests, light microscopy and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The geometric mean of the gametocyte density, and weighted arithmetic mean of the gametocytes sex ratio were estimated.

resultsOverall, 23.5% (110/467) of the participants tested positive for malaria parasites, with the majority of positives (> 92%) being Plasmodium falciparum. The overall gametocytaemia was 5.6%, with a percent positivity of 6.8% (13/192), 6.2% (4/65) and 4.3% (9/210), in children, adolescents, and adults, respectively. The geometric mean gametocyte density (gametocytes/μL) was greater in adults (124.6) than in children (71.7) and adolescents (50.5). Regression analysis revealed that gametocytes were more likely to be present among male participants than among female participants [ORa: 2.79 (95% CI: 1.19 - 6.59) p = 0.019]. The gametocyte sex ratio in children and adult gametocyte carriers was similar but greater than that in adolescents.

conclusionThe observed gametocyte densities and distribution across age groups suggest the need for malaria transmission-blocking interventions to target all populations in heterogeneous transmission settings. The implication of targeting only children may leave residual malaria transmission and reinfection from the left-out groups.

Indexed as

Malaria, FalciparumPlasmodium falciparumAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedTanzaniaYoung AdultGametocytesMalaria transmissionPlasmodium falciparumTanzaniaTransmission-blocking vaccines

Identifiers

PMID39985008
PMCPMC11846475

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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.