Monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of Plasmodium malariae sporozoites in mosquitoes

A monoclonal antibody specific for a repeated epitope of the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium malariae sporozoites has been used to develop a two-site, single antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that can detect P. malariae sporozoites in mosquitoes. The assay uses a purified monoclonal antibody produced against sporozoites of the Uganda I/CDC strain of P. malariae to capture the antigen and the same monoclonal antibody labeled with horseradish peroxidase as the detector. Sporozoites have been detected in laboratory-infected mosquitoes stored at room temperature in the presence of a desiccant for as long as 18 months. The detection limit of the assay is approximately 50 P. malariae sporozoites per test well. Cross-reaction has not been observed with mosquitoes infected with P. falciparum, P. vivax, or P. ovale sporozoites.