Infectious Diseases

Cultural Values and the Coliform Bacterial Load of “Masato,” an Amazon Indigenous Beverage

Access to safe drinking water is limited in many isolated areas, such as the Amazon where Indigenous peoples frequently reside. Identifying safe forms of drinking water accepted by the communities could have positive health benefits for Indigenous …

Open-Source 3D Printable GPS Tracker to Characterize the Role of Human Population Movement on Malaria Epidemiology in River Networks: A Proof-of-Concept Study in the Peruvian Amazon

Human movement affects malaria epidemiology at multiple geographical levels; however, few studies measure the role of human movement in the Amazon Region due to the challenging conditions and cost of movement tracking technologies. We developed an …

The Relative Role of Climate Variation and Control Interventions on Malaria Elimination Efforts in El Oro, Ecuador: A Modeling Study

Malaria is a vector-borne disease of significant public health concern. Despite widespread success of many elimination initiatives, elimination efforts in some regions of the world have stalled. Barriers to malaria elimination include climate and …

Temporal and micro-spatial heterogeneity in transmission dynamics of co-endemic Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum in two rural cohort populations in the Peruvian Amazon

**Background** Malaria is highly heterogeneous; its changing malaria micro-epidemiology needs to be addressed to support malaria elimination efforts at the regional level. **Methods** A three-year, population-based cohort study in two settings in the …

Spatio-temporal co-occurrence of hotspots of tuberculosis, poverty and air pollution in Lima, Peru

Growing evidence suggests pollution and other environmental factors have a role in the development of tuberculosis (TB), however, such studies have never been conducted in Peru. Considering the association between air pollution and specific …

Microsatellite analysis reveals connectivity among geographically distant transmission zones of Plasmodium vivax in the Peruvian Amazon

Despite efforts made over decades by the Peruvian government to eliminate malaria, Plas- modium vivax remains a challenge for public health decision-makers in the country. The uneven distribution of its incidence, plus its complex pattern of …

Higher risk of malaria transmission outdoors than indoors by Nyssorhynchus darlingi in riverine communities in the Peruvian Amazon

**Background** Malaria remains an important public health problem in Peru where incidence has been increasing since 2011. Of over 55,000 cases reported in 2017, Plasmodium vivax was the predominant species (76%), with P. falciparum responsible for …

Malaria vector species in Amazonian Peru co- occur in larval habitats but have distinct larval microbial communities

In Amazonian Peru, the primary malaria vector, Nyssorhynchus darlingi (formerly Anophe- les darlingi), is difficult to target using standard vector control methods because it mainly feeds and rests outdoors. Larval source management could be a useful …

High-accuracy detection of malaria vector larval habitats using drone-based multispectral imagery

Interest in larval source management (LSM) as an adjunct intervention to control and elimi- nate malaria transmission has recently increased mainly because long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spray (IRS) are ineffective against …

Effectiveness of a Malaria Surveillance Strategy Based on Active Case Detection during High Transmission Season in the Peruvian Amazon

**Background** Faced with the resurgence of malaria, malaria surveillance in the Peruvian Amazon incorporated consecutive active case detection (ACD) interventions using light microscopy (LM) as reactive measure in communities with an unusual high …