scholarly journals High prevalence of asymptomatic malaria infections in adults, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 2018

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melina Heinemann ◽  
Richard O. Phillips ◽  
Christof D. Vinnemeier ◽  
Christina Rolling ◽  
Egbert Tannich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Plasmodium Malariae ◽  
Asymptomatic Malaria ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale ◽  
Forest Zone ◽  
Ashanti Region ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale Curtisi ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Asymptomatic Adult ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Background Ghana is among the high-burden countries for malaria infection and recently reported a notably increase in malaria cases. While asymptomatic parasitemia is increasingly recognized as a hurdle for malaria elimination, studies on asymptomatic malaria are scarce and usually focus on children and on non-falciparum species. The present study aims to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum and non-falciparum infections in Ghanaian adults in the Ashanti region during the high transmission season. Methods Asymptomatic adult residents from five villages in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, were screened for Plasmodium spp. by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) during the rainy season. Samples tested positive were subtyped using species-specific real-time PCR. For all P. ovale infections additional sub-species identification was performed.Results Molecular prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infection was 284/391 (73%); only 126 (32%) infections were detected by RDT. While 266 (68%) participants were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, 33 (8%) were infected with Plasmodium malariae and 34 (9%) with Plasmodium ovale. The sub-species Plasmodium ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were identified to similar proportions. Non-falciparum infections usually presented as mixed infections with Plasmodium falciparum.Conclusions Most adult residents in the Ghanaian forest zone are asymptomatic Plasmodium carriers. The high Plasmodium prevalence not detected by RDT in adults highlights that malaria eradication efforts must target all members of the population. Beneath Plasmodium falciparum, screening and treatment must also include infections with Plasmodium malariae, P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri .

scholarly journals High prevalence of asymptomatic malaria infections in adults, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melina Heinemann ◽  
Richard O. Phillips ◽  
Christof D. Vinnemeier ◽  
Christina C. Rolling ◽  
Egbert Tannich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Plasmodium Malariae ◽  
Asymptomatic Malaria ◽  
Forest Zone ◽  
Transmission Season ◽  
Ashanti Region ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Notable Increase ◽  
Asymptomatic Adult ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Background Ghana is among the high-burden countries for malaria infections and recently reported a notable increase in malaria cases. While asymptomatic parasitaemia is increasingly recognized as a hurdle for malaria elimination, studies on asymptomatic malaria are scarce, and usually focus on children and on non-falciparum species. The present study aims to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum and non-falciparum infections in Ghanaian adults in the Ashanti region during the high transmission season. Methods Asymptomatic adult residents from five villages in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, were screened for Plasmodium species by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) during the rainy season. Samples tested positive were subtyped using species-specific real-time PCR. For all Plasmodium ovale infections additional sub-species identification was performed. Results Molecular prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infection was 284/391 (73%); only 126 (32%) infections were detected by RDT. While 266 (68%) participants were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, 33 (8%) were infected with Plasmodium malariae and 34 (9%) with P. ovale. The sub-species P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were identified to similar proportions. Non-falciparum infections usually presented as mixed infections with P. falciparum. Conclusions Most adult residents in the Ghanaian forest zone are asymptomatic Plasmodium carriers. The high Plasmodium prevalence not detected by RDT in adults highlights that malaria eradication efforts must target all members of the population. Beneath Plasmodium falciparum, screening and treatment must also include infections with P. malariae, P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri.

scholarly journals High prevalence of asymptomatic malaria infections in adults, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 2018

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melina Heinemann ◽  
Richard O. Phillips ◽  
Christof D. Vinnemeier ◽  
Christina Rolling ◽  
Egbert Tannich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Plasmodium Species ◽  
Plasmodium Malariae ◽  
Asymptomatic Malaria ◽  
Forest Zone ◽  
Transmission Season ◽  
Ashanti Region ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Asymptomatic Adult ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Background Ghana is among the high-burden countries for malaria infection and recently reported a notably increase in malaria cases. While asymptomatic parasitaemia is increasingly recognized as a hurdle for malaria elimination, studies on asymptomatic malaria are scarce and usually focus on children and on non-falciparum species. The present study aims to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum and non-falciparum infections in Ghanaian adults in the Ashanti region during the high transmission season. Methods Asymptomatic adult residents from five villages in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, were screened for Plasmodium species by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) during the rainy season. Samples tested positive were subtyped using species-specific real-time PCR. For all Plasmodium ovale infections additional sub-species identification was performed. Results Molecular prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infection was 284/391 (73%); only 126 (32%) infections were detected by RDT. While 266 (68%) participants were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, 33 (8%) were infected with Plasmodium malariae and 34 (9%) with P. ovale. The sub-species P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were identified to similar proportions. Non-falciparum infections usually presented as mixed infections with P. falciparum. Conclusions Most adult residents in the Ghanaian forest zone are asymptomatic Plasmodium carriers. The high Plasmodium prevalence not detected by RDT in adults highlights that malaria eradication efforts must target all members of the population. Beneath Plasmodium falciparum, screening and treatment must also include infections with P. malariae, P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri.

Hacia un mundo libre de malaria: Utopía o realidad

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-382
Author(s):  
Alberto Sánchez Garrido
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Plasmodium Vivax ◽  
Plasmodium Knowlesi ◽  
Plasmodium Malariae ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale Curtisi ◽  
America Latina

La Malaria es una enfermedad causada por un parásito que se transmite a los humanos a través de la picadura de mosquito hembra Anophele. Reportando la WHO en el 2019, 229 millones de casos y 409.000 muertes por la enfermedad en 87 paises del mundo, Existen seis especies de este párasito: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale wallickeri, Plasmodium ovale curtisi, Plasmodium malariae y Plasmodium knowlesi. Siendo la especie P. falciparum la causante de mayor morbilidad, con tasa entre 10 y 50% de mortalidad por malaria complicada. Alrededor de 108 países han declarado la malaria como enfermedad endémica, pudiendo padecer la enfermedad en cualquier época del año. Sin embargo, en el caso de América Latina hoy en día se vive un estancamiento de la enfermedad, reportándose en países menos de 100 casos autóctonos entre el 2000 y 2019, con algunas excepciones. Esta situación de vulnerabilidad de países como Brasil, Colombia, la frontera Perú-Ecuador, Venezuela, se incrementan ante la presencia activa de la pandemia producto del Covid -19 aunado a restricciones económicas, incremento de la actividad minera, o políticas públicas que ponen en riesgo la sostenibilidad del programa de control de la enfermedad. Para el 2021 la OMS corrobora que existen 87 países con malaria a nivel mundial, de los cuales 24 de ellos habían interrumpido su transmisión autóctona por 3 años. Realidad que consolidad la propuesta tras la experiencia adquirida, que cualquiera que sea la situación epidemiológica de entrada, el trabajo hacia la erradicación de la malaria debe entenderse y atenderse como un proceso continuo donde los propios Estados deben desde su realidad y estrategias propias se articulen con el Plan Estratégico Técnico Mundial Contra la Malaria 2016-2030 propuesto por la OMS. Palabras

scholarly journals Characterization of Plasmodium ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri in Western Kenya Utilizing a Novel Species-specific Real-time PCR Assay

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e0003469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin H. Miller ◽  
Clifford O. Obuya ◽  
Elizabeth W. Wanja ◽  
Bernhards Ogutu ◽  
John Waitumbi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Novel Species ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale Curtisi ◽  
Species Specific

scholarly journals Prospective Clinical Trial Assessing Species-Specific Efficacy of Artemether-Lumefantrine for the Treatment of Plasmodium malariae , Plasmodium ovale , and Mixed Plasmodium Malaria in Gabon

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Groger ◽  
Luzia Veletzky ◽  
Albert Lalremruata ◽  
Chiara Cattaneo ◽  
Johannes Mischlinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Antimalarial Activity ◽  
Study Drug ◽  
Plasmodium Malariae ◽  
Fixed Dose ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Primary Endpoints ◽  
Dose Combination ◽  
Species Specific

ABSTRACT Treatment recommendations for Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale malaria are largely based on anecdotal evidence. The aim of this prospective study, conducted in Gabon, was to systematically assess the efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of patients with uncomplicated P. malariae or P. ovale species monoinfections or mixed Plasmodium infections. Patients with microscopically confirmed P. malariae , P. ovale , or mixed-species malaria with at least one of these two Plasmodium species were treated with an oral, fixed-dose combination of artemether-lumefantrine for 3 consecutive days. The primary endpoints were per-protocol PCR-corrected adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) on days 28 and 42. Tolerability and safety were recorded throughout the follow-up period. Seventy-two participants (42 male and 30 female) were enrolled; 62.5% of them had PCR-corrected mixed Plasmodium infections. Per protocol, PCR-corrected ACPR rates were 96.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91.9 to 100) on day 28 and 94.2% (95% CI, 87.7 to 100) on day 42. Considering Plasmodium species independently from their coinfecting species, day 42 ACPR rates were 95.5% (95% CI, 89.0 to 100) for P. falciparum , 100% (exact CI, 84.6 to 100) for P. malariae , 100% (exact CI, 76.8 to 100) for P. ovale curtisi , and 90.9% (95% CI, 70.7 to 100) for P. ovale wallikeri . Study drug-related adverse events were generally mild or moderate. In conclusion, this clinical trial demonstrated satisfying antimalarial activity of artemether-lumefantrine against P. ovale wallikeri , P. ovale curtisi , P. malariae , and mixed Plasmodium infections, with per-protocol efficacies of 90% to 100% and without evident tolerability or safety concerns. (This trial was registered in the clinical study database ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT02528279.)

scholarly journals Persistent transmission of Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale species in an area of declining Plasmodium falciparum transmission in eastern Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. e0007414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Yman ◽  
Grace Wandell ◽  
Doreen D. Mutemi ◽  
Aurelie Miglar ◽  
Muhammad Asghar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Plasmodium Malariae ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale

scholarly journals Plasmodium falciparum DHFR and DHPS Mutations Are Associated With HIV-1 Co-Infection and a Novel DHPS Mutation I504T Is Identified in Western Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandi K. Torrevillas ◽  
Sarah M. Garrison ◽  
Alexander J. McKeeken ◽  
Dharmeshkumar Patel ◽  
James T. Van Leuven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Haplotype Diversity ◽  
Plasmodium Malariae ◽  
Drug Binding ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Asymptomatic Malaria ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Antifolate Resistance ◽  
Hiv 1

Antifolate resistance is significant in Kenya and presumed to result from extensive use and cross-resistance between antifolate antimalarials and antibiotics, including cotrimoxazole/Bactrim used for HIV-1 chemotherapy. However, little is known about antifolate-resistant malaria in the context of newly diagnosed HIV-1 co-infection prior to administration of HIV-1 chemotherapy. Blood samples from a cross-sectional study of asymptomatic adult Kenyans enrolled during voluntary HIV testing were analyzed by PCR for Plasmodium spp. More than 95% of volunteers with identifiable parasite species (132 HIV-1 co-infected) were infected with Plasmodium falciparum alone or P. falciparum with Plasmodium ovale and/or Plasmodium malariae. Deep sequencing was used to screen for mutations in P. falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) (N51I, C59R, S108N, I164L) and dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) (S436H, A437G, K540E, A581G) from 1133 volunteers. Individual mutations in DHPS but not DHFR correlated with HIV-1 status. DHFR haplotype diversity was significantly different among volunteers by gender and HIV-1 status. DHPS haplotype diversity by HIV-1 status was significantly different between volunteers paired by age and gender, indicating that patterns of resistance were independent of these variables. Molecular simulations for a novel DHPS mutation (I504T) suggested that the mutated protein has increased affinity for the endogenous ligand DHPPP and decreased affinity for drug binding. A sub-group of monoclonal infections revealed that age and parasitemia were not correlated and enabled identification of a rare septuple-mutant haplotype (IRNL-HGEA). In our study, adult Kenyans newly diagnosed with HIV-1 infection were predominantly infected with moderately resistant P. falciparum, with patterns of infecting parasite genotypes significantly associated with HIV-1 status. Together with the discovery of DHPS I504T, these data indicate that antifolate resistance continues to evolve in Kenya. Further, they highlight the need to understand the effects of associated mutations on both fitness and resistance of P. falciparum in the context of HIV-1 co-infection to better inform treatment for asymptomatic malaria.

scholarly journals High Prevalence of Markers for Sulfadoxine and Pyrimethamine Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum in the Absence of Drug Pressure in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 1101-1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Marks ◽  
Jennifer Evans ◽  
Christian G. Meyer ◽  
Edmund N. Browne ◽  
Christa Flessner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Parasite Prevalence ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Drug Pressure ◽  
Ashanti Region ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Resistance Markers ◽  
High Level ◽  
Weak Trend

ABSTRACT Markers of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to chloroquine (CQ) and pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine (PYR-SDX) are widespread in areas where malaria is endemic. In an area where the use PYR-SDX is negligible, the Ashanti Region of Ghana, West Africa, adult individuals were enrolled in an analysis of CQ- and PYR-SDX-associated molecular resistance markers in 2001 (n = 177) and 2003 (n = 180). Parasite prevalence, as assessed by PCR assays, were 56.5 and 48.8% in 2001 and 2003, respectively. A high frequency of CQ, PYR, and SDX resistance markers was observed, whereby, as a weak trend, the frequency was higher in 2003. The quintuple combination of three pfdhfr mutations and two pfdhps mutations has previously been recognized to be the most important determinant of PYR-SDX resistance. Approximately 60% of parasite carriers harbored fourfold mutated parasites, indicative of a considerable risk for a switch to high-level PYR-SDX resistance in an area where the rate of PYR-SDX use is low. Among the factors contributing to the high frequency of PYR-SDX resistance-associated mutations are background use of PYR-SDX, past use of PYR for malaria prophylaxis, cross-resistance of trimethoprim with PYR, and the sufficient biological fitness of resistant parasites in the absence of drug pressure.

scholarly journals Diagnosis and Molecular Analysis on Imported Plasmodium ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri Malaria Cases from West and South Africa during 2013-2016

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-65
Author(s):  
Hyun-Il Shin ◽  
Bora Ku ◽  
Yu Jung Kim ◽  
Tae Yun Kim ◽  
Shin-Hyeong Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
18S Rrna ◽  
Plasmodium Species ◽  
18S Rrna Gene ◽  
Imported Malaria ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale ◽  
Molecular Monitoring ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale Curtisi ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Microscopic Findings

Majority of the imported malaria cases in Korea is attributed to <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> and <i>P. vivax</i> infections, whereas <i>P. malariae</i> and <i>P. ovale</i> infections are very rare. Falciparum and ovale malaria are mostly imported from Africa, while most of the vivax malaria cases are imported from Southeast Asia. Here, we report 6 Korean imported ovale malaria cases (4 males and 2 females) who had visited in Africa during 2013-2016. These subjects were diagnosed with <i>P. ovale</i> based on microscopic findings, <i>Plasmodium</i> species-specific nested-PCR, and phylogenetic clade using 18S rRNA gene sequences. We identified 2 <i>P. ovale</i> subtypes, 1 <i>P. ovale curtisi</i> (classic type) and 5 <i>P. ovale wallikeri</i> (variant type). All patients were treated with chloroquine and primaquine, and no relapse or recrudescence was reported for 1 year after treatment. With increase of travelers to the countries where existing Plasmodium species, the risk of <i>Plasmodium</i> infection is also increasing. Molecular monitoring for imported malaria parasites should be rigorously and continuously performed to enable diagnosis and certification of <i>Plasmodium</i> spp.

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