ArticleCommunications medicine2026
Asymptomatic school-age children carry the majority of transmissible Plasmodium falciparum infections.
Article in Communications medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Asymptomatic school-age children carry the majority of transmissible Plasmodium falciparum infections.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Serological evidence of high exposure toMalariaWorld journal · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPersistent human-to-mosquito parasite transmission hinders malaria control in high burden settings. Understanding the human transmission reservoir can support the design of targeted interventions to reduce transmission.
methodsIn a year-long cohort study in rural Malawi, we used molecular methods to detect all Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infections and those containing gametocytes, the parasite stage required for transmission, longitudinally at routine surveillance and sick visits. Using population-level analyses, we determined the demographic, temporal, and spatial clustering of infections containing gametocytes and gametocyte density, which predicts transmission.
resultsHere we show that gametocytes are not randomly distributed among the population or among individuals with Pf infections; gametocytes are detected in only 23% of the population. Among all participants, school-age children have significantly higher incidence of gametocyte-containing infections and high-density gametocyte infections compared to other groups. The presence of school-age children is a key driver of gametocyte frequencies and densities within households, even after adjusting for Pf infection levels. Based on the total gametocyte abundance in the population, we estimate that clearing infections from asymptomatic school-age children in the rainy season would decrease gametocyte abundance by 67% in the population.
conclusionsSchool-age children are the primary driver of ongoing Pf transmission in Malawi and interventions targeting school-age children are needed to effectively reduce Pf infection risk at a population level.
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Registered trials
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