Nongnuj Maneechai

TL;DR: PCR appears to be a useful method for detecting Plasmodium parasites during active malaria surveillance in Thailand, and data indicated that the discrepancy between the two methods resulted from poor performance of microscopy at low parasite densities rather thanpoor performance of PCR.

TL;DR: Field microscopy, as defined in this study, is not an effective method for active malaria surveillance in western Thailand, where prevalence and parasitemia rates are low.

TL;DR: The infectivity of Plasmodium-infected humans in western Thailand was estimated by feeding laboratory-reared Anopheles dirus Peyton and Harrison mosquitoes on venous blood placed in a membrane-feeding apparatus, with results indicating low oocyst loads and implications toward malaria transmission.

TL;DR: Using this assay as a tool for active case detection is of limited value in western Thailand because of the relatively high cost of these assays, low parasite rates found in the majority of asymptomatic individuals, and low sensitivity of this assay with rates of < 500/microl.

TL;DR: Direct feeding of mosquitoes with Plasmodium vivax was more effective than use of whole blood or blood that was reconstituted with the patient's own plasma, suggesting a possible role of transmission-blocking antibody.