Sickle Trait Hemoglobin does not influence anopheles biting rates – includes authors affiliated with the School of Medicine and College of Health Sciences, Moi University.

Markwalter, Christine     O’Meara; Kimachas, Emmah; Kirwa, Erastus; Kipkoech, Joseph; Kahindi, Samuel; Abel, Lucy; Han, Zay Yar; Mangeni, Judith N; Obala, Andrew; Prudhomme, Wendy; Taylor, Steve M

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10174

Title:	Sickle Trait Hemoglobin does not influence anopheles biting rates – includes authors affiliated with the School of Medicine and College of Health Sciences, Moi University.
Authors:	Markwalter, Christine O’Meara Kimachas, Emmah Kirwa, Erastus Kipkoech, Joseph Kahindi, Samuel Abel, Lucy Han, Zay Yar Mangeni, Judith N Obala, Andrew Prudhomme, Wendy Taylor, Steve M
Keywords:	Sickle-trait hemoglobin, Influence Anopheles, Biting rates
Issue Date:	2026
Publisher:	Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA 2 8 Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare, Eldoret, Kenya 3 9 School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Pwani University, Kilifi. Kenya 10 4 Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 11 USA 5 12 School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya 6 13 School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
Abstract:	Children with sickle cell trait (HbAS) are protected against severe and symptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria. While several within-host resistance mechanisms have been investigated, it is unknown whether this protection may be attributable in part to reductions in exposure to P. falciparum parasites via mosquito bites. In a 15-month 28 cohort in Western Kenya, we matched mosquito bloodmeals to human hosts based on short tandem repeat (STR) genotypes to determine individual mosquito biting rates. Using a multilevel multivariable model, we assessed mosquito biting behavior with respect to human b-globin genotypes and found no significant difference in the biting rates between individuals with HbAA and HbAS genotypes (biting rate ratio (BRR): 1.23, 95% CI: 0.86 - 1.77). These findings suggest that protection from malaria conferred by sickle trait is likely not attributable to reduced exposure to infectious mosquito bites
URI:	http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10174
Appears in Collections:	School of Medicine

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