First Observation of Experimental Infection of Three Malaria Vectors from the Brazilian Amazon.

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 mosquitoes will increase our understanding of parasite-vector interactions and aid the design of vector control strategies. This study assessed the susceptibility of three species to midgut infection by , the predominant malaria species in Rondônia State, Brazil. Blood from infected patients was fed to , , and 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 and exhibited the highest infection rates (97% and 90%, respectively) and developed a similar median number of oocysts (142 and 123, respectively), while exhibited the smallest infection rates (77%) and the median number of oocysts (88). Established laboratory colonies of and and susceptibility to plasmodial infection would be beneficial for modeling vector-parasite interactions in Brazil.