Reagent-free detection of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections in field-collected mosquitoes using mid-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning
Field-derived metrics are critical for effective control of malaria, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where the disease kills over half a million people yearly. One key metric is entomological inoculation rate, a direct measure of transmission intensities, computed as a product of human biting rates and prevalence of Plasmodium sporozoites in mosquitoes. Unfortunately, current methods for identifying infectious mosquitoes are laborious, time-consuming, and may require expensive reagents that are not always readily available.
Mwanga, E.P., Kweyamba, P.A., Siria, D.J. et al. Reagent-free detection of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections in field-collected mosquitoes using mid-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning. Sci Rep 14, 12100 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63082-z