A novel vector control measure to combat the spread of artemisinin resistance in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Novel vector control measures that can target outdoor malaria transmission are urgently needed to aid malaria elimination efforts in Southeast Asia. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria in Southeast Asia feed primarily outdoors and often times early in the evening. This makes it difficult to protect people from malaria-transmitting mosquitoes with bed nets and insecticides sprayed on houses, therefore we require novel mosquito control interventions for use in Southeast Asia. The drug ivermectin is a safe and effective drug that is used to treat and control numerous neglected tropical diseases worldwide. Ivermectin is also lethal to mosquitoes when ingested in a blood meal from a treated human or animal. Here we propose to conduct the first ivermectin mass drug administrations to humans in Southeast Asia and we will assess their impact on entomological and parasitological parameters of malaria transmission.

People would benefit from this study by having reduced malaria cases. In addition, ivermectin MDAs would affect many other parasites, thus delivering a public health intervention that extends beyond malaria control, which may help maintain higher compliance rates with MDAs. Results from this study could be used to justify conducting ivermectin or multi-drug MDAs in other areas of Southeast Asia for malaria elimination. Antimalarial drug resistance is developing in Southeast Asia thus malaria elimination is very important in this region to prevent the catastrophic spread of these resistant parasites to other regions, especially Africa.

Primary outcomes measured:

• Mosquito parity and sporozoite rate
• Malaria prevalence and incidence

Population selection criteria: The field sites are rubber plantations in Thailand

Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) - Project details

Drug-based Strategies
Measurement of Transmission
Vector Control

Sep 2016 — Sep 2023

$6.99M

Thailand

Ivermectin for malaria