The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a new spatial repellent (called Mesh) at repelling multiple disease vectors and, reducing clinical malaria rates in temporary shelters and camp settings. The design of the study will be a two-armed cluster randomised trial. By conducting the research in challenging camp settings in the north of Nigeria, the MENTOR Initiative aims to determine whether Mesh can be effective in harsh camp conditions where communities are living in conflict area temporary shelters.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
2,400
Mesh is one of the first spatial repellent tools to provide long-lasting protection to users, with predicted efficacy of 6-months. The active ingredient of Mesh is transfluthrin, a fast-acting volatile pyrethroid with low persistency, which can act either by killing or via sublethal toxicity that causes deviation (repellency) in host attraction, reducing host-contact and risk of infectious bites. The chemical passively releases into the air and interacts with vector odour receptors causing irritation. The design of Mesh is simple with a transfluthrin-infused sheet protected by plastic mesh and encased in a plastic frame. Mesh will be distributed to the intervention arm only.
IEC campaigns will formally encourage breeding site management through; good practice household-level water storage (covering and cleaning of water storage containers) and waste management (removal of potential breeding sites in and around the home) using leaflets and word of mouth. IEC will be conducted in both arms.
All children in the cohort (both arms) will be tested by rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) monthly. If any children test positive, they will be treated with a course of 3-day artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) according to standard protocol and local guidelines. All children in the cohort will receive ACT to provide clearance of any malaria parasites during the baseline of the study.
Sara Estecha Querol
Haywards Heath, West Sussex, United Kingdom
entomological outcome: vector density
the relative infestation rate of disease vectors (females of any of Anopheles malaria vectors, Aedes aegypti, or phlebotomine sand flies
Time frame: 7 months
epidemiological outcome: malaria incidence
Malaria incidence will be estimated as the total number of malaria episodes per person over the course of the trial.
Time frame: 7 months
feasibility, acceptance and uptake of Mesh
To measure community and household acceptance and uptake of Mesh, a questionnaire will be conducted with the Mesh-receiving households.
Time frame: 7 months
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