Scientific bases for residual malaria elimination in the Brazilian Amazon

• Grant number: 16/18740-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2017
• End date: May 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Urbano Ferreira
• Grantee: Marcelo Urbano Ferreira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Paulo Eduardo Martins Ribolla
• Associated researchers: Carlos Eugênio Cavasini ; João Marcelo Pereira Alves ; Marcia Caldas de Castro ; Maria Gabriela Miranda Gomes
• Associated research grant(s): 20/00433-8 - Beyond pvmdr1 and pvcrt: search for relevant diversity in new Plasmodium vivax candidate genes associated with antimalarial drug resistance, AP.R SPRINT; 20/04505-3 - Tracking the community-wide spread of SARS-CoV-2: outbreak size, transmission dynamics, clinical outcomes of infection, and duration of naturally acquired antibody responses in an Amazonian town, AP.R; 19/23139-0 - The clinically silent Plasmodium vivax reservoir in the Amazon: a systematic review and pooled analysis of individual-level data from population-based surveys, AP.R SPRINT; + associated grants 18/18931-4 - Optimizing ex-vivo erythrocyte reinvasion assays for Plasmodium vivax, AV.EXT; 17/11376-2 - Multi-user equipment approved in grant 2016/18740-9: Real-Time PCR equipment QuantStudio 6 flex (Applied Biosystems), AP.EMU; 17/11379-1 - Multiuser equipment approved in grant 2016/18740-9: QIAsymphony SP automated DNA/RNA extraction platform, Qiagen, AP.EMU; 17/11380-0 - Multi-user equipment approved in grant 16/18740-9: server HPE DL 580 Gen9, AP.EMU - associated grants
• Associated scholarship(s): 20/12811-7 - Scientific bases for Malaria elimination in the Brazilian Amazon, BP.JC; 18/12127-9 - Molecular epidemiology of Malaria in the Juruá Valley, BP.DD; 18/03902-9 - Spatial and temporal dynamics of malaria transmission in residual hotspots in the Brazilian Amazon, BP.PD; 17/25591-2 - Functional characterization of antibodies against Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein MSP-119, BP.MS

Abstract

With 143,910 laboratory-confirmed cases and 41 malaria-related deaths in 2014, Brazil has now the lowest malaria burden in 35 years, with transmission virtually limited to the Amazon Basin. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health of Brazil has launched, in November 2015, the Malaria Elimination Plan, with the short-term goal of interrupting Plasmodium falciparum transmission countrywide over the next 15 years. The focal nature of malaria transmission in Brazil suggests that elimination efforts will require a careful prioritization of a few residual malaria pockets. Here we combine classical epidemiological approaches, to characterize risk factors and intervention targets, with population genetics/genomics analyses of parasites and studies of vector biology and control, with the ultimate goal of improving current strategies for malaria control and elimination in Brazil. Our field-based studies in the main endemic area of Brazil (Juruá Valley, close to the border with Peru, which accounts for 20% of all infections in this country) are complemented with mathematical modelling of different malaria elimination scenarios. We focus on two main challenges for malaria elimination: (a) the presence of asymptomatic infections with low-level parasitemias that are often below the detection threshold of available diagnostic techniques, creating a large and undetected reservoir of infection, and (b) the maintenance of high vector densities resulting from new man-made mosquito breeding sites (fish pounds opened across Juruá Valley for commercial aquaculture). (AU)

Scientific publications

(20)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

NICOLETE, VANESSA C.; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; JOHANSEN, IGOR C.; CORDER, RODRIGO M.; TONINI, JULIANA; CARDOSO, MARLY A.; DE JESUS, JAQUELINE G.; CLARO, INGRA M.; FARIA, NUNO R.; SABINO, ESTER C.; et al. Interacting Epidemics in Amazonian Brazil: Prior Dengue Infection Associated With Increased Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Risk in a Population-Based Cohort Stud. Clinical Infectious Diseases, v. 73, n. 11, p. 2045-2054, DEC 1 2021. (18/14389-0, 16/18740-9, 20/04505-3)

CORDER, RODRIGO M.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.; GOMES, M. GABRIELA M.. Modelling the epidemiology of residual Plasmodium vivax malaria in a heterogeneous host population: A case study in the Amazon Basin. PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY, v. 16, n. 3, MAR 2020. (16/18740-9)

DE OLIVEIRA, THAIS CRIPPA; CORDER, RODRIGO M.; EARLY, ANGELA; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; LADEIA-ANDRADE, SIMONE; ALVES, JOAO MARCELO P.; NEAFSEY, DANIEL E.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Population genomics reveals the expansion of highly inbred Plasmodium vivax lineages in the main malaria hotspot of Brazil. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 14, n. 10, OCT 2020. (16/18740-9)

FONTOURA, PABLO S.; SILVA, MARCOS F.; DA COSTA, ANDERSON S.; RIBEIRO, FRANCISMAR S.; FERREIRA, MARCILIO S.; LADEIA-ANDRADE, SIMONE; TONINI, JULIANA; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; CASTRO, MARCIA C.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Monthly biological larviciding associated with a tenfold decrease in larval density in fish farming ponds and reduced community-wide malaria incidence in northwestern Brazil. PARASITES & VECTORS, v. 14, n. 1, SEP 3 2021. (16/18740-9, 18/03902-9, 16/25617-9)

LUIZA-BATISTA, CAMILLA; NARDELLA, FLORE; THIBERGE, SABINE; SERRA-HASSOUN, MALIKA; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.; SCHERF, ARTUR; GARCIA, SYLVIE. Flowcytometric and ImageStream Rna-Fish Gene Expression, Quantification and Phenotypic Characterization of Blood Sporozoites and Sporozoites From Human Malaria Species. Journal of Infectious Diseases, v. 225, n. 9, p. 5-pg., 2021-08-28. (16/18740-9)

RANGEL, GABRIEL W.; CLARK, MARTHA A.; KANJEE, USHEER; GOLDBERG, JONATHAN M.; MACINNIS, BRONWYN; MENEZES, MARIA JOSE; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.; DURAISINGH, MANOJ T.. Plasmodium vivax transcriptional profiling of low input cryopreserved isolates through the intraerythrocytic development cycle. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 14, n. 3, MAR 2020. (16/18740-9)

CORDER, RODRIGO M.; PAULA, GILBERTO A.; PINCELLI, ANACLARA; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Statistical modeling of surveillance data to identify correlates of urban malaria risk: A population-based study in the Amazon Basin. PLoS One, v. 14, n. 8, AUG 9 2019. (16/18740-9, 18/18557-5)

CORDER, RODRIGO M.; DE LIMA, ANTONIO C. P.; KHOURY, DAVID S.; DOCKEN, STEFFEN S.; DAVENPORT, MILES P.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Quantifying and preventingPlasmodium vivaxrecurrences in primaquine-untreated pregnant women: An observational and modeling study in Brazil. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 14, n. 7, JUL 2020. (13/21728-2, 16/18740-9, 17/50292-9)

NICOLETE, VANESSA C.; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; JOHANSEN, IGOR C.; CORDER, RODRIGO M.; TONINI, JULIANA; CARDOSO, MARLY A.; DE JESUS, JAQUELINE G.; CLARO, INGRA M.; FARIA, NUNO R.; SABINO, ESTER C.; et al. nteracting Epidemics in Amazonian Brazil: Prior Dengue Infection Associated With Increased Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Risk in a Population-Based Cohort Stud. Clinical Infectious Diseases, v. 73, n. 11, p. 2045-2054, DEC 6 2021. (16/18740-9, 18/14389-0, 20/04505-3)

JOHANSEN, IGOR C.; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Human mobility and urban malaria risk in the main transmission hotspot of Amazonian Brazil. PLoS One, v. 15, n. 11, NOV 25 2020. (18/03902-9, 16/18740-9)

FONTOURA, PABLO S.; DA COSTA, ANDERSON S.; RIBEIRO, FRANCISMAR S.; FERREIRA, MARCILIO S.; CASTRO, MARCIA C.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Field Efficacy of VectoMax FG and VectoLex CG Biological Larvicides for Malaria Vector Control in Northwestern Brazil. Journal of Medical Entomology, v. 57, n. 3, p. 942-946, MAY 2020. (16/25617-9, 16/18740-9)

DE OLIVEIRA, THAIS C.; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; EARLY, ANGELA M.; DUARTE, ANA MARIA R. C.; BUERY, JULYANA C.; BUENO, MARINA G.; CATAO-DIAS, JOSE L.; CERUTTI, CRISPIM; RONA, LUISA D. P.; NEAFSEY, DANIEL E.; et al. Plasmodium simium: Population Genomics Reveals the Origin of a Reverse Zoonosis. Journal of Infectious Diseases, v. 224, n. 11, p. 1950-1961, DEC 1 2021. (16/18740-9, 14/10919-4)

SALLA, L. C.; RODRIGUES, P. T.; CORDER, R. M.; JOHANSEN, I. C.; LADEIA-ANDRADE, S.; FERREIRA, M. U.. Molecular evidence of sustained urban malaria transmission in Amazonian Brazil, 2014-2015. EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION, v. 148, FEB 21 2020. (16/18740-9)

LUIZA BARBOSA BARROS; PRISCILA RODRIGUES CALIL; PRISCILA THIHARA RODRIGUES; JULIANA TONINI; PABLO SECATO FONTOURA; PRISCILA MORAES SATO; MARLY AUGUSTO CARDOSO; MARINA WERNECK DE ALMEIDA AVELLAR RUSSO; CARLOS EDUARDO CAVASINI; ANDERSON ROCHA DE JESUS FERNANDES; et al. Clinically silent Plasmodium vivax infections in native Amazonians of northwestern Brazil: acquired immunity or low parasite virulence?. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v. 117, 2022-12-16. (16/18740-9)

JOHANSEN, IGOR C.; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; TONINI, JULIANA; VINETZ, JOSEPH; CASTRO, MARCIA C.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Cohort profile: the Mancio Lima cohort study of urban malaria in Amazonian Brazil. BMJ OPEN, v. 11, n. 11, NOV 2021. (20/03611-4, 16/18740-9, 20/04505-3)

FERREIRA, NATALIA S.; LIMA, NATHALIA F.; SULCZEWSKI, FERNANDO B.; SOARES, IRENE S.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.; BOSCARDIN, SILVIA B.. Plasmodium vivax infection changes the peripheral immunoregulatory network: CD4 T follicular cells and B cells. European Journal of Immunology, v. N/A, p. 15-pg., 2023-05-24. (18/07142-9, 16/18740-9, 16/50108-0)

LUIZA-BATISTA, CAMILLA; THIBERGE, SABINE; SERRA-HASSOUN, MALIKA; NARDELLA, FLORE; CLAES, AURELIE; NICOLETE, VANESSA C.; COMMERE, PIERRE-HENRI; MANCIO-SILVA, LILIANA; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.; SCHERF, ARTUR; et al. Humanized mice for investigating sustained Plasmodium vivax blood-stage infections and transmission. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, v. 13, n. 1, p. 9-pg., 2022-07-15. (16/18740-9)

DE OLIVEIRA, THAIS C.; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; DUARTE, ANA MARIA R. C.; RONA, LUISA D. P.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Ongoing host-shift speciation in Plasmodium simium. Trends in Parasitology, v. 37, n. 11, p. 3-pg., 2021-10-13. (16/18740-9, 14/10919-4)

NICOLETE, VANESSA C.; RODRIGUES, PRISCILA T.; FERNANDES, ANDERSON R. J.; CORDER, RODRIGO M.; TONINI, JULIANA; BUSS, LEWIS F.; SALES, FLAVIA C.; FARIA, NUNO R.; SABINO, ESTER C.; CASTRO, MARCIA C.; et al. Epidemiology of COVID-19 after Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Gamma Variant, Brazilian Amazon, 2020-2021. Emerging Infectious Diseases, v. 28, n. 3, p. 4-pg., 2022-03-01. (20/04505-3, 16/18740-9, 18/14389-0)

CORDER, RODRIGO M.; DE LIMA, ANTONIO C. P.; KHOURY, DAVID S.; DOCKEN, STEFFEN S.; DAVENPORT, MILES P.; FERREIRA, MARCELO U.. Quantifying and preventing Plasmodium vivax recurrences in primaquine-untreated pregnant women: An observational and modeling study in Brazil. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 14, n. 7, p. 16-pg., 2020-07-01. (17/50292-9, 13/21728-2, 16/18740-9)