May 2011

Spatio-temporal patterns of malaria infection in Bhutan: a country embarking on malaria elimination

Researchers in Bhutan - one of the 32 malaria-eliminating countries - recently conducted a spatio-temporal analysis of data collected between 1994 and 2008 to identify malaria transmission clusters and to study trends in malaria incidence over time with the goal of informing the allocation of control and elimination resources. Overall, there was a significant decrease in malaria trends, however, clusters were identified in regions where malaria transmission generally does not occur. In a low endemic setting, accurately identifying potential malaria clusters will help to control and prevent outbreaks of malaria.