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Table 5 Operational definitions of key knowledge variables

From: Do we need to go further to train healthcare providers in the targeted regions for malaria elimination in Myanmar? A mixed-methods study

Key variables

Operational definitions

Malaria case

Occurrence of malaria infection in a person in whom the presence of malaria parasites in the blood has been confirmed by a diagnostic test

Malaria elimination

Interruption of local transmission (reduction to zero incidence of indigenous cases) of a specified malaria parasite in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate activities. Continued measures to prevent re-establishment of transmission are required.

Indigenous case

A case contracted locally with no evidence of importation and no direct link to transmission from an imported case

Introduced case

A case contracted locally, with strong epidemiological evidence linking it directly to a known imported case (first-generation local transmission)

Imported case

Malaria case or infection in which the infection was acquired outside the area in which it is diagnosed.

Relapse case

Malaria case attributed to activation of hypnozoites of P. vivax or P. ovale acquired previously.

Induced case

Other types of transmission (by blood transfusion, from mother to child transmission)

Recrudescent case

Recurrence of asexual parasitaemia of the same genotype(s) that caused the original illness, due to incomplete clearance of asexual parasites after antimalarial treatment.

Focus

A defined circumscribed area situated in a currently or formerly malarious area that contains the epidemiological and ecological factors necessary for malaria transmission

Note: Foci can be classified as active, residual non-active or cleared.

Active foci

A focus with ongoing transmission.

Residual non-active foci

Transmission interrupted recently (1–3 years ago).

Cleared foci

A focus with no local transmission for more than 3 years and which is no longer considered residual non-active.