Research Articles

Salvador II strain of Plasmodium vivax in Aotus monkeys and mosquitoes for transmission-blocking vaccine trials

Infections with the Salvador II strain of Plasmodium vivax in Aotus lemurinus griseimambra monkeys were fed upon by Anopheles freeborni mosquitoes. Periods of mosquito infectivity were determined to establish a model system for the testing of transmission-blocking vaccines. The highest levels of mosquito infection were associated with the ascending asexual parasitemia after reaching 1,000/microl, and before the peak asexual parasite count. Sporozoite-induced infections were more infectious than were trophozoite-induced infections. Secondary episodes of parasitemia were also infectious, indicating the lack of development of naturally developing transmission-blocking immunity to this strain of P. vivax in splenectomized Aotus monkeys following single infections.