Sero-surveillance tools for targeting Plasmodium vivax infections and monitoring malaria control and elimination efforts in Amazonian countries

Aim of the proposal:

To contribute to malaria elimination in the Amazon Region by developing intercountry standardized serosurveillance tools to accurately monitor shortand longterm changes in Plasmodium vivax transmission intensity. Specific objectives:

1. To develop and validate a highly sensitive and specific serological tool to identify recent individual exposure to P. vivax infections (?6 months) and/or monitor shortterm changes in P. vivax transmission intensity in different ecological settings of the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon.
2. To develop and validate a highly sensitive and specific serological tool to identify distant individual exposure to P. vivax (624 months) and/or monitor longterm changes in malaria transmission intensity in different ecological settings of the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon.

Expected results:

1. Two subsets of P. vivax antigens with high sensitivity and specificity for the identification of either shortlived (?6 months) or longlived (>6months) antibodies are selected through systematic microarray screenings of all potential P. vivax protein candidates.
2.  Antigenic diversity of selected P. vivax protein candidates is determined by parasite genotyping of P. vivax samples previously collected from different ecological settings of the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon.
3. New statistical models are developed to select the best combination of antigens (those with the highest sensitivity and specificity and lowest polymorphism) in identifying either recent or distant individual exposure to P. vivax and to estimate incidence rates from crosssectional studies.
4. Mono and: multiplex assay platforms using the selected best combinations of antigens are standardized and validated with reference samples from different ecological settings of the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon.
5. The performance of the new serological tools in identifying hotspots of P. vivax transmission and/or monitoring shortand Longterm changes in P. vivax transmission is evaluated using samples collected within past and ongoing cross-sectional and cohort studies in different ecological settings of the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon.
6. 3) articles submitted to peer-reviewed journals within project period, and other three (3) after project end.
7. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sample collection, laboratory, and serological data analysis are developed to support the progressive transfer of the new serological tools to malaria control programs in Brazil and Peru
8. Milestones and success indicators of WP are accomplished as planned, risks are anticipated and appropriately managed.
9. Both individual and team networking capacities of SouthAmerican and European partners are strengthened for collaborative research in malaria control and elimination.