Temporal correlation between malaria and rainfall in Sri Lanka (Publications)
potential use for malaria prediction. However, the relationship between rainfall and the number of malaria cases is indirect and complex. METHODS: The statistical relationships between monthly malaria case count
Virosome-formulated <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> AMA-1 & CSP derived peptides as malaria vaccine: randomized phase 1b trial in semi-immune... (Publications)
evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of two virosome formulated malaria peptidomimetics derived from Plasmodium falciparum AMA-1 and CSP in malaria semi-immune adults and children. METHODS: The design was a [...] age-deescalating study with two immunizations. 10 adults and 40 children (aged 5-9 years) living in a malaria endemic area were immunized with PEV3B or virosomal influenza vaccine Inflexal(R)V on day 0 and 90 [...] from 4 to 66 in children. As an exploratory outcome, we found that the...
Quantifying behavioural interactions between humans and mosquitoes: Evaluating the protective efficacy of insecticidal nets against malaria... (Publications)
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: African malaria vectors bite predominantly indoors at night so sleeping under an Insecticide-Treated Net (ITN) can greatly reduce malaria risk. Behavioural adaptation by mosquitoes [...] allow vector mosquitoes to bite outside of peak sleeping hours and undermine efficacy of this key malaria prevention measure. METHODS: High coverage with largely untreated nets has been achieved in the Kilombero [...] peak sleeping hours, respectively. ITNs consistently conferred > 70%...
A randomized placebo-controlled phase a malaria vaccine trial of two virosome-formulated synthetic peptides in healthy adult volunteers (Publications)
against the two malaria antigens were observed in the control group receiving unmodified virosomes. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that three immunizations with the virosomal malaria vaccine components [...] further development of a final multi-stage virosomal vaccine formulation incorporating additional malaria antigens. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00400101
A virosomal malaria peptide vaccine elicits a long-lasting sporozoite-inhibitory antibody response in a phase 1a clinical trial (Publications)
CSP-specific antibodies elicited in this phase 1a trial. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 46 healthy malaria-naive adults were immunized with virosomal formulations of two peptide-phosphatidylethanolamine
Selection of mosquito life-histories: a hidden weapon against malaria? (Publications)
BACKGROUND: There has recently been a substantial decline in malaria incidence in much of Africa. While the decline can clearly be linked to increasing coverage of mosquito vector control interventions [...] be driving selection for a shift in mosquito life history that reduces their ability to transmit malaria parasites. Specifically it is hypothesized that by substantially increasing the extrinsic rate of [...] their resources towards greater short-term reproduction at the expense of...