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Exploring the thermal limits of malaria transmission in the western Himalaya

Farhina Mozaffer, View ORCID ProfileGautam I. Menon, View ORCID ProfileFarah Ishtiaq
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.31.478411
Farhina Mozaffer
1The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, CIT Campus, Taramani, Chennai – 600113, India
2Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai - 400094, India
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Gautam I. Menon
1The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, CIT Campus, Taramani, Chennai – 600113, India
2Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai - 400094, India
3Departments of Physics & Biology, Ashoka University, Plot No. 2, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, National Capital Region, P.O. Rai, Sonepat - 131029, India
4Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability (3CS), Ashoka University, Plot No. 2, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, National Capital Region, P.O. Rai, Sonepat - 131029, India
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  • For correspondence: farah.ishtiaq@tigs.res.in menon@imsc.res.in
Farah Ishtiaq
5Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, New InStem Building, GKVK Post, Bellary Road, Bangalore-560065, India
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  • For correspondence: farah.ishtiaq@tigs.res.in menon@imsc.res.in
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Abstract

Environmental temperature is a key driver of malaria transmission dynamics. Using detailed temperature records from four sites (1800-3200m) in the western Himalaya, we model how temperature regulates parasite development rate (the inverse of the extrinsic incubation period, EIP) in the wild. Using a Briére parametrization of the EIP, combined with Bayesian parameter inference, we study the thermal limits of transmission for avian (P. relictum) and human Plasmodium parasites (P. vivax and P. falciparum) as well as for two malaria-like avian parasites, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon. We demonstrate that temperature conditions can substantially alter the incubation period of parasites at high elevation sites (2600-3200m) leading to restricted parasite development or long transmission windows. We then compare estimates of EIP based on measures of mean temperature versus hourly temperatures to show that EIP days vary in cold versus warm environments. We found that human Plasmodium parasites experience a limited transmission window at 2600m. In contrast, for avian Plasmodium transmission was not possible between September to March at 2600m. In addition, temperature conditions suitable for both Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon transmission were obtained from June to August and in April, at 2600m. Finally, we use temperature projections from a suite of climate models to predict that by 2040, high elevation sites (~ 2600 m) will have a temperature range conducive for malaria transmission, albeit with a limited transmission window. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for fine-scale thermal effects in the expansion of the range of the malaria parasite with global climate change.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted January 31, 2022.
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Exploring the thermal limits of malaria transmission in the western Himalaya
Farhina Mozaffer, Gautam I. Menon, Farah Ishtiaq
bioRxiv 2022.01.31.478411; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.31.478411
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Exploring the thermal limits of malaria transmission in the western Himalaya
Farhina Mozaffer, Gautam I. Menon, Farah Ishtiaq
bioRxiv 2022.01.31.478411; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.31.478411

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