# Amazonian Center of Excellence in Malaria Research

> **NIH NIH U19** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $231,874

## Abstract

Despite reductions in malaria cases across Latin America, malaria transmission hot spots remain
heterogeneously distributed throughout Amazonia, virtually all of which are strongly linked to the primary
Amazonian vector Anopheles darlingi. Malaria transmission in Amazonia is associated with rapid adaptation by
An. darlingi to anthropogenically-driven environmental changes. This project will address three understudied
facets of An. darlingi which will provide key details of how this vector maintains its dominant role in Amazonian
malaria transmission dynamics by: 1) delineating the importance of anthropic breeding sites that lead to high
mosquito productivity and dispersal near human habitation; 2) examining rapid adaptation in modified
landscapes of both location (indoor/ outdoor) and nocturnal timing of biting behavior; and, 3) showing how this
mosquito species’ preferences/ changes interact with Plasmodium vivax asymptomatic persons to maintain
hypoendemic transmission. First, we will evaluate the contribution of artificial vs. natural ponds to malaria
transmission. In villages/towns with varying annual parasitic indices in malaria endemic regions of Peru and
Brazil, we will census breeding sites near malaria-associated houses and characterize their physical
parameters, and assess host availability in and around houses. We will identify where mosquitoes bite infected
individuals by identifying patterns of mosquito movement, particularly by comparing larval genotypes in
breeding site types with adults from houses. We expect a strong correlation of larval density in proximity with
“hot” (malarial) houses that experience the highest numbers of cases within village regardless of breeding site
type. Second, based on our previous success in continuous laboratory propagation of An. darlingi in the
Peruvian Amazon, we will colonize behaviorally distinctive (endophagic, exophagic) populations of An. darlingi
and experimentally test each for vector competence using P. vivax and P. falciparum. We anticipate detecting
two distinct populations, 1) wild, opportunistic mosquitoes in natural breeding sites, bloodseeking preferentially
from ~6-9 PM outside houses; 2) anthropophilic mosquitoes that preferentially use artificial breeding sites,
bloodseeking from ~3-6 AM inside houses. Third, we will quantify and compare the efficiency of P. vivax
infection of An. darlingi under different, biologically-relevant conditions, using direct and standard membrane
feeding assays. The following groups of subjects will be studied: symptomatic, microscopy positive;
asymptomatic, microscopy positive; and asymptomatic, subpatent (microscopy negative, RT-PCR+), with
asymptomatic, untreated subjects studied serially over short periods (diurnally over days) before treatment.
These data will allow us to parameterize mathematical models of P. vivax transmission dynamics in quantifying
biologically relevant factors such as fluctuations in parasitemia and gametocytemia over days and...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10441616
- **Project number:** 5U19AI089681-14
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jan E Conn
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $231,874
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-07-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10441616

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10441616, Amazonian Center of Excellence in Malaria Research (5U19AI089681-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10441616. Licensed CC0.

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