Evaluating interventions for Plasmodium vivax forest malaria using a three-scale mathematical model

TL;DR

This study extends a mathematical model to evaluate and optimize malaria interventions targeting forest populations in Vietnam, emphasizing drug timing, vector control, and hypnozoite treatment for better disease management.

Contribution

It introduces a three-scale integro-differential model fitted to local data, enabling assessment of intervention strategies for P. vivax malaria in forested regions.

Findings

Optimal MDA timing depends on population demographics.

Vector control effectiveness is crucial in intervention success.

Efficacy of hypnozoite-targeting drugs significantly impacts outcomes.

Abstract

The rising proportion of Plasmodium vivax cases concentrated in forest-fringe areas across the Greater Mekong Subregion highlights the importance of pharmaceutical and mosquito control techniques specifically targeted towards forest-going populations. To mathematically assess best-possible antimalarial interventions in the context of hypnozoite reactivation and seasonal forest migration, we extend a previously developed three-scale integro-differential equations model of P. vivax transmission. In particular, we fit the model to data gathered over a four-year period in Vietnam to gain insight into local P. vivax dynamics and validate the model's ability to capture epidemiological trends. The calibrated model is then used to generate optimal schedules for mass-drug administration (MDA) in forest-goers and gauge the efficacy of vector control techniques (such as long-lasting insecticide nets and indoor residual spraying) in forest-adjacent areas. Our results highlight the dependence of optimal MDA timing on the demographics of the human population, the importance of interventions targeting the mosquito bite rate, and the need for efficacy in hypnozoite-targeting antimalarial drugs.