Journal article icon

Journal article

Age structure and parity status determination of Afrotropical malaria vectors using MALDI-TOF MS

Abstract:
The age structure of a mosquito population helps estimate the proportion of vectors capable of transmitting malaria. Many malaria transmission models rely on mosquito longevity as key parameter. However, these are rarely measured in the field due to lack of a reliable and scalable age-grading method. An accurate method could improve predictions of malaria risk and the impact assessment of interventions. This study aimed to investigate the use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for malaria vector age-grading using insectary-reared and wild-caught mosquitoes. Anopheles gambiae s.s. mosquitoes were reared in the insectary to different known physiological and chronological ages to evaluate if MALDI-TOF MS could be used to distinguish between different age groups. Wild mosquitoes were collected from Mozambique and Kenya and dissected to determine their parity status. Reference spectra were obtained from mosquito’s cephalothorax and used to create predictive databases which were validated using independent samples. MALDI-TOF MS identified the physiological and chronological age of insectary-reared mosquitoes with 94.52% and 77% accuracy respectively. Field-collected mosquitoes were primarily An. funestus s.s. and An. gambiae s.s. Parity prediction accuracy was between 81% and 87%. MALDI-TOF MS was able to distinguish and differentiate mosquitoes based on their age structure (chronological and physiological) and parity status.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

Actions

Access Document

Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1038/s41598-025-00935-1

Authors


More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/0456r8d26


Publisher:
Nature Research
Journal:
Scientific Reports More from this journal
Volume:
15
Issue:
1
Article number:
15848
Publication date:
2025-05-06
Acceptance date:
2025-05-02
DOI:
EISSN:
2045-2322


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
2123136
Local pid:
pubs:2123136
Source identifiers:
2915874
Deposit date:
2025-05-07
ARK identifier:
This ORA record was generated from metadata provided by an external service. It has not been edited by the ORA Team.

Terms of use


Views and Downloads






If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record

TO TOP