Wiping out linkurl:malaria;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/36878/ in much of sub-Saharan linkurl:Africa;http://www.the-scientist.com/2006/6/1/44/1/ is an attainable goal that can be reached with targeted and consistent intervention, according to linkurl:research;http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0001767 published today (Mar. 12) in __PLoS ONE__. (__UPDATE__: A link to the study has been added.) Scientists mathematically modeling the spread of malaria in eight African regions have, for the first time, identified threshold levels of malaria transmission. If malaria control efforts keep transmission rates below these thresholds, their model predicts, sustainable management or eradication of the disease is possible. "This is an exciting possibility," London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine parasitologist linkurl:Colin Sutherland,;http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/people/sutherland.colin who was not involved in the research, told __The Scientist__. "Malaria does appear to be quite eraticatable, if I can use a terrible word." linkurl:Gabriela Gomes,;http://sites.igc.gulbenkian.pt/ggomes/people/gabriela.php a theoretical epidemiologist at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia in Portugal who led the research team, says that her model can give public health administrators...
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