Sporozoite Index

The sporozoite index is an indicator of the risk of malaria infection, representing the percentage (percentage) of captured female Anopheles mosquitoes in which sporozoites of Plasmodium falciparum were found in the salivary glands.

Sporozoites are the infectious stage of Plasmodium falciparum that is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. When bitten, sporozoites enter the human bloodstream with the mosquito's saliva and penetrate the liver, where they begin to actively multiply, causing malaria.

The sporozoite index shows what proportion of the vector (Anopheles mosquitoes) carry sporozoites and can infect a person through a bite. The higher the sporozoite index in an area, the higher the risk of malaria infection for people living in that area.

Regular monitoring of the sporozoite index allows one to assess the effectiveness of antimalarial measures and adjust them if necessary. The sporozoite index is also used to identify foci of malaria and determine priority areas for preventive and anti-epidemic measures.

Sporozoitis index and its significance at the present stage of development of the fight against malaria

Malaria sporozoites are nonmotile gametocytes that develop in the body of the Anopheles mosquito and subsequently hatch into the external environment in the form of coracidia. At the coracidium stage, sporosites are already inside mosquito cells, from which a new generation of parasites will be formed. The main danger at this stage is associated with the fact that sporoesites can easily penetrate the human body, where they become covered with a cover of membranes, forming a typical trophic stage of malaria development - malariasis. Such changes occur in the human body in a minimal period of time. Sporosites are spread by bloodsuckers from person to person, and when the bloodsucker attacks again, clinical manifestations of malaria appear.