POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION DETECTION OF PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM IN MOSQUITOS

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure using a primer set deriv ed from a repetitive deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence specific to Plasmodium falciparum was used to detect parasite DNA in mosquitoes. I n laboratory-infected mosquitoes, PCR could detect as few as 10 sporoz oites in a dissected salivary gland and a single oocyst in a dissected midgut. The ability to detect P. falciparum DNA in wild-caught mosqui toes indicated an advantage of the PCR over enzyme-linked immunosorben t assay for the detection of Plasmodium sporozoites in mosquitoes with low-grade parasite infections.