Gametocytocidal drugs: taking the population perspective

[Excerpt] In their Article Dicko and colleagues¹ state that both primaquine and methylene blue were "highly efficacious for preventing Plasmodium falciparum transmission" when given alongside primary malaria treatment, implying an effect on malaria transmission in the community. However, the trial measured the infectiousness of individuals to mosquitoes, which is several steps removed from the dynamics of disease transmission. Other trials have also measured whether individuals are less infectious to mosquitoes after treatment with a gametocytocidal agent, but none have measured an effect on transmission in the community, the outcome of real interest.

Lancet Infectious Diseases

Lancet Infectious Diseases

18

1474-4457

N/A

7

1