Estimate of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite content of Anopheles stephensi used to challenge human volunteers

Plasmodium falciparum infected Anopheles stephensi, taken from a group of mosquitoes which had been used to challenge recipients of (NANP)₃-TT vaccine, were tested for P. falciparum sporozoite content by an immunoradiometric assay. Seventy-six percent were infected with mean and median sporozoite equivalents per mosquito of 220,994 and 217,398, respectively (SD = 54,911). This sporozoite density is greater than that usually found in the field. These data suggest that this challenge for evaluating P. falciparum sporozoite vaccines is a demanding test of immunity.