# Emergents International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2024 · $179,895

## Abstract

PROGRAM PROJECT 1 [PP1]: Genomic Epidemiological Mapping (GEM) of non-falciparum malaria
(NFM; Pv, Po, and P. malariae [Pm]) to quantify the parasite reservoir, measure transmissibility to
mosquitoes and evaluate the insecticide resistance status of mosquitoes with NFM parasite infections.
ABSTRACT/SUMMARY
To date, much of the global research and policy focus interest has been centered upon understanding
transmission dynamics of P. falciparum malaria (Pf) and P. vivax (Pv), together accounting for the majority of
documented human malaria infections and disease severity. However, the true contribution of non-falciparum
malaria (NFM) –P. ovale (Po wallikeri [Pow] and Po curtisi [Poc]) and P. malariae (Pm) – to the global disease
burden remains underappreciated. This is largely because accurate diagnosis for both Po and Pm rely on the
use of sensitive nested PCR, given the evidence of usually low parasitemias amongst infected individuals. As
such, these infections are missed by “gold standard” light microscopy routinely used in field settings to diagnose
malaria, rendering NFM a silent, and thus neglected disease by the global health community. Moreover, it
remains unclear as to which primary vectors are responsible for the transmission of mixed and/or mono-NFM
infections. Increasing pressure from insecticides is leading to changes in host seeking (biting) behavior of primary
mosquito vectors, and potentially so-called “secondary vectors”, that may also be increasing exposure to NFM.
Failure to detect and quantify this infectious “hidden” reservoir will likely result in a failure to eliminate residual
malaria transmission locally. The overarching hypothesis to be explored in PP1 is that Pf mixed infections with
NFM are more prevalent than expected, especially in subclinical but parasitemic populations, and are often
missed by non-molecular based diagnostics. Moreover, transmission of these infections to mosquitoes may be
affected by primary or secondary vector species and related IR status in Cameroon and Nigeria. The project will
seek to rapidly develop and deploy new genomic field-based tools for NFM – molecular inversion probes (MIPs)
for human biological samples and HMADS assays for determining mosquito species and insecticide resistance
status – by leveraging an existing bank of saliva, whole blood, DBS, and liquid blood spots, this Émergents
ICEMR program project seeks to: Aim PP1.1. Develop, refine, and implement targeted genomic tools and
determine the distribution of clinical and subclinical Pf, Pv, Po, and Pm infections in Cameroon and
Nigeria; Aim PP1.2. Determine transmissibility of NFM mixed infections to Anopheles funestus; and Aim
PP1.3. Measure and map the prevalence of insecticide resistance, and associated resistance
mechanisms of outdoor biting Anopheles vectors. Key outcomes of PP1 will be to provide insight into the
prevalence of NFM infections, Pf population genomics and drug resistance in mixed infections with NFM, and
the rel...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10837543
- **Project number:** 1U19AI181594-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Rhoel David Ramos Dinglasan
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $179,895
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-04-22 → 2029-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10837543

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10837543, Emergents International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (1U19AI181594-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10837543. Licensed CC0.

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