Hyperendemic malaria in a forested, hilly Myanmar village

A 1-year longitudinal study of hyperendemic malaria was carried out at Tha-bye-wa village, Oktwin township, situated in the forested Bago mountain range in south-central Myanmar. Mosquito infectivity was assayed using specific, sporozoite enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Anopheles dirus was the predominant vector in the postmonsoon season (October); during the cool-dry season (January), both An. dirus and Anopheles minimus were vectors. Members of the Anopheles culicifacies complex were caught in the hot-dry season (April) but none was infective. The entomological inoculation rate was estimated to be at least 13.7 infective bites/person/year. Infective An. dirus were caught feeding on cattle as well as on humans. Three of the 4 positive An. dirus and both positive An. minimus were caught biting humans indoors in the second quarter of the night when most people were sleeping. This suggests that use of insecticide-impregnated bednets in this area could interrupt transmission.