Evaluation of the VecTest Malaria Antigen Panel Assay using Anopheles sacharovi Specimens in an Endemic Area, Sanliurfa

In recent years, malaria is located in southeastern Anatolia of Turkey. Because of no information is available about sporozoite rates in the mosquitoes in Turkey, Anopheles (An.) sacharovi were collected in Sanliurfa province and examined by the VecTestTM Malaria Antigen Panel Assay , a rapid immunochromatographic assay intended for the qualitative determination of three Plasmodium circumsporozoite antigens (P. falciparum, P. vivax 210, P. vivax 247) in infected Anopheline mosquitoes. Anopheles sacharovi specimens were collected using CDC light traps in 5 villages belonging to Sanliurfa province in July 2004. The pools containing 10 mosquitoes were prepared and totally 390 Anopheles sacharovi females were used for the Vectest. Test was performed in the field conditions just after collection. The positivity was observed only in one pool and P.vivax 247 antigen line. Infection rate was detected as 0.25% in mosquitoes. The detection of P.vivax 247 antigen in An. sacharovi is an important natural evidence of vector capacity of this species for P. vivax variant 247 in Turkey. Results were suggestive of most likely involvement of An. sacharovi in malaria transmission in Sanliurfa province.