Table 3.

Artesunate transmission blocking effects according to dose and time of administration to gametocytemic mice before mosquito infection.

Treatment (mg/kg)	Days after mouse infectiona	Hours before mosquito infection	Geom. mean Oocyst densityb [CI95%]	Percent oocyst reduction [CI95%]	Prevalence of infection % [CI95%]
Controlc	3.5	10	120.3 [77.6-162.9]	-	87.8 [45.1-130.5]
AS	3.5	10	49.7 [34.9-64.4]	58.7 [43.9-73.2]	95.5 [81.4-119.7]
35 mg/kg	4	0.5	71.6 [50.6-86.1]	43.2 [37.2-65.1]	93.3 [75.5-111.1]
AS 20 mg/kg	3.5	10	59.1 [45.0-73.3]	50.8 [24.7-61.2]	96.0 [80.8-110.3]

^a In P. berghei gametocytes can be morphologically distinguished on Giemsa slides on day 3 after acyclic mouse infection. Full sized, infective gametocytes appear on day 4, thus treatment on day 3 and 3.5 targets young and mature gametocytes, respectively.

^b Oocyst densities (geometric mean oocysts/midgut) were considered only on oocyst positive mosquitoes.

^c Control: Mice treated with 5% NaHCO₃ in 0.85% normal saline.