Although malaria is endemic to the Amazon region, little is known about the susceptibility of potential parasite vectors in Brazil. Assessing the vector susceptibility of Anopheles mosquitoes will increase our understanding of parasite-vector interactions and aid the design of vector control strategies. This study assessed the susceptibility of three Anopheles species to midgut infection by Plasmodium vivax, the predominant malaria species in Rondônia State, Brazil. Blood from P. vivax infected patients was fed to Anopheles aquasalis, Anopheles darlingi, and Anopheles deaneorum mosquitoes using a membrane feeding assay (MFA). Gametocytemia was estimated by microscopic examination of blood smears and oocyst prevalence, and infection intensity was assessed. The presence of oocysts was determined by microscopy, and the infection rates and infection intensity were determined for all species. Data from six MFAs showed that An. darlingi and An. deaneorum exhibited the highest infection rates (97% and 90%, respectively) and developed a similar median number of P. vivax oocysts (142 and 123, respectively), while An. aquasalis exhibited the smallest infection rates (77%) and the median number of oocysts (88). Established laboratory colonies of An. darlingi and An. deaneorum and susceptibility to plasmodial infection would be beneficial for modeling P. vivax vector-parasite interactions in Brazil.
Keywords: Plasmodium vivax; malaria vector; membrane feeding assay; oocysts.