Emmanuel P Mwanga, Idrisa S Mchola, Faraja E Makala, Issa H Mshani, Doreen J Siria, Sophia H Mwinyi, Said Abbasi, Godian Seleman, Jacqueline N Mgaya, Mario González Jiménez, Klaas Wynne, Maggy T Sikulu-Lord, Prashanth Selvaraj, Fredros O Okumu, Francesco Baldini, Simon A Babayan
BACKGROUND: The degree to which Anopheles mosquitoes prefer biting humans over other vertebrate hosts, i.e. the human blood index (HBI), is a crucial parameter for assessing malaria transmission risk. However, existing techniques for identifying mosquito blood meals are demanding in terms of time and effort, involve costly reagents, and are prone to inaccuracies due to factors such as cross-reactivity with other antigens or partially digested blood meals in the mosquito gut. This study demonstrates the first field application of mid-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning (MIRS-ML), to rapidly assess the blood-feeding histories of malaria vectors, with direct comparison to PCR assays...
March 26, 2024: Malaria Journal