Topography-derived wetness indices are associated with household-level malaria risk in two communities in the western Kenyan highlands

Abstract

Transmission of Plasmodium falciparum generally decreases with increasing elevation, in part because lower temperature slows the development of both parasites and mosquitoes. However, other aspects of the terrain, such as the shape of the land, may affect habitat suitability for Anopheles breeding and thus risk of malaria transmission. Understanding these local topographic effects may permit prediction of regions at high risk of malaria within the highlands at small spatial scales.