Efficacy of attractive targeted sugar bait stations against malaria in Western Province Zambia: epidemiological findings from a two-arm cluster randomized phase III trial.

Background: Attractive targeted sugar bait (ATSB) stations containing bait (to attract) and ingestion toxicant (to kill) sugar-foraging mosquitoes are hypothesized to reduce malaria transmission by shortening the lifespan of Anopheles vectors.

Methods: A two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial (cRCT) was conducted in Western Province Zambia. Seventy clusters of 250-350 households were assigned (1:1) by restricted randomization to an intervention arm (ATSB) or control arm (no ATSB) in the context of standard of care vector control (insecticide-treated nets and/or indoor residual spraying).

Why does malaria transmission continue at high levels despite universal vector control? Quantifying persistent malaria transmission by Anopheles funestus in Western Province, Zambia.

Background: Some settings continue to experience a high malaria burden despite scale-up of malaria vector control to high levels of coverage. Characterisation of persistent malaria transmission in the presence of standard control measures, also termed residual malaria transmission, to understand where and when individuals are exposed to vector biting is critical to inform refinement of prevention and control strategies.

Methods: Secondary analysis was performed using data collected during a phase III cluster randomized trial of attractive targeted sugar bait stations in Western Province, Zambia.

Community acceptance of a novel malaria intervention, Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits, in the Zambia phase III trial.

Background: Community acceptance is an important criterion to assess in community trials, particularly for new tools that require high coverage and use by a target population. Installed on exterior walls of household structures, the attractive targeted sugar bait (ATSB) is a new vector control tool designed to attract and kill mosquitoes. ATSBs were evaluated in Western Zambia during a two-year cluster randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of ATSBs in reducing malaria transmission.

Deployment of attractive targeted sugar baits in western Zambia: installation, monitoring, removal, and disposal procedures during a Phase III cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits (ATSBs) offer a complementary vector control strategy to interventions targeting blood feeding or larval control by attacking the sugar feeding behaviour of adult mosquitoes using an attract-and-kill approach. Western Zambia was the first location to receive and deploy ATSB Sarabi version 1.2 stations in a Phase III cluster randomized controlled trial.

Characteristics of the Western Province, Zambia, trial site for evaluation of attractive targeted sugar baits for malaria vector control.

Background: The attractive targeted sugar bait (ATSB) is a novel malaria vector control tool designed to attract and kill mosquitoes using a sugar-based bait, laced with oral toxicant. Western Province, Zambia, was one of three countries selected for a series of phase III cluster randomized controlled trials of the Westham ATSB Sarabi version 1.2.