[Plasmodium falciparum travels by train from Ethiopia to Djibouti].

To investigate the role of the Djibouti-Ethiopian railway as a potential vehicle for inter-regional spread of malaria vectors and malaria parasites, we performed a double-sided study, both entomological and parasitological, during November 1989, at the frontier post of Guelile where the trains from Ethiopia enter the Republic of Djibouti. No malaria-transmitting mosquitoes were collected either from the daily passenger train or from the weekly vegetables train. One hundred and five passengers entering Djibouti by train from Ethiopia had a thick film examined for malaria parasites.