Identifying and characterising foci of malaria transmission in potential malaria elimination settings in rural Senegal

The incidence of malaria has declined substantially in much of Senegal. This study is being undertaken to identify areas where transmission is still continuing and to determine approaches to the interruption of transmission in these persistent foci. Analysis of records from health centres where RDTs are being used has shown that there is considerable heterogeneity in transmission between adjacent areas, with some variation from year to year. Some health centres had very few cases of malaria. This heterogeneity was confirmed by serological studies undertaken at LSHTM by Ms Abiola, a PhD student at the University of Dakar. To identify risk factors for malaria at a time when the overall incidence of the infection has declined substantially, a case control study started in July 2011. This has recruited 700 cases of malaria and 400 matched controls.

Dr Cisse’s work in this area will be continued following the award of a MRC/Wellcome Trust/DFID grant in July 2012 to study different ways of controlling malaria in ‘hot spots’.