Breakpoint transmission is a theoretical concept in the epidemiology of directly transmitted and some vector-borne diseases, describing the critical low level of transmission below which the disease cannot sustain itself in a population and will eventually die out, even in the absence of continued control measures. For malaria, it refers to the point where the basic reproduction number (R0) is reduced so low (effectively R < 1) that each case generates, on average, less than one new case. At this level, chains of transmission are broken, and the parasite population cannot maintain itself. Achieving this breakpoint is the goal of malaria elimination programs. It is influenced by factors such as vector density and longevity, human biting rate, parasite development time in the mosquito, and human immunity. Once transmission falls below the breakpoint, the disease may be eliminated from that area because the few sporadic cases that occur (e.g., from imported infections) do not spark sustained local transmission. Reaching the breakpoint requires intense, sustained control efforts targeting both the parasite in humans and the mosquito vector.

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Zambia

• Joseph Soko – 101 pts

• Visual Pathway Lesions
• Positive and Negative Symptoms
• Hallucinations and Delusions
• Antipsychotic Medications
• Emergency: Environmental Emergencies