Description of Plasmodium falciparum infections in central Gabon demonstrating high parasite densities among symptomatic adolescents and adults
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Description of Plasmodium falciparum infections in central Gabon demonstrating high parasite densities among symptomatic adolescents and adults. / Zoleko Manego, Rella; Koehne, Erik; Kreidenweiss, Andrea; Nzigou Mombo, Brice; Adegbite, Bayode Romeo; Dimessa Mbadinga, Lia Betty; Akinosho, Malik; Matthewman, Julian; Adegnika, Ayola Akim; Ramharter, Michael; Mombo-Ngoma, Ghyslain.
In: MALARIA J, Vol. 18, No. 1, 371, 21.11.2019.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Description of Plasmodium falciparum infections in central Gabon demonstrating high parasite densities among symptomatic adolescents and adults
AU - Zoleko Manego, Rella
AU - Koehne, Erik
AU - Kreidenweiss, Andrea
AU - Nzigou Mombo, Brice
AU - Adegbite, Bayode Romeo
AU - Dimessa Mbadinga, Lia Betty
AU - Akinosho, Malik
AU - Matthewman, Julian
AU - Adegnika, Ayola Akim
AU - Ramharter, Michael
AU - Mombo-Ngoma, Ghyslain
PY - 2019/11/21
Y1 - 2019/11/21
N2 - BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a public health issue, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa with special features of seriousness in young children and pregnant women. Adolescents and adults are reported to have acquired a semi-immune status and, therefore, present with low parasitaemia. Children are understood to present with a much higher parasitaemia and severe malaria. It is a concern that effective malaria control programmes targeting young children may lead to a delay in the acquisition of acquired immunity and, therefore, causing a shift in the epidemiology of malaria. Prevalence and parasitaemia were explored in adolescents and adults with Plasmodium falciparum infections compared to young children in the area of Lambaréné, Gabon as an indicator for semi-immunity.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) during a 6-month period in 2018. Symptomatic patients, of all ages were screened for malaria at health facilities in Lambaréné and Fougamou and their respective surrounding villages in the central region of Gabon. Plasmodium falciparum infections were determined either by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or by microscopy. Descriptive analysis of data on parasite densities, anaemia, and fever are presented.RESULTS: 1589 individuals screened were included in this analysis, including 731 (46%) adolescents and adults. Out of 1377 assessed, the proportion of P. falciparum positive RDTs was high among adolescents (68%) and adults (44%), compared to young children (55%) and school children (72%). Out of 274 participants assessed for malaria by microscopy, 45 (16%) had a parasite count above 10,000/µl of which 9 (20%) were adults.CONCLUSION: This study shows a high rate of P. falciparum infections in adolescents and adults associated with high-level parasitaemia similar to that of young children. Adolescents and adults seem to be an at-risk population, suggesting that malaria programmes should consider adolescents and adults during the implementation of malaria prevention and case management programmes with continuous care, since they also act as reservoirs for P. falciparum.
AB - BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a public health issue, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa with special features of seriousness in young children and pregnant women. Adolescents and adults are reported to have acquired a semi-immune status and, therefore, present with low parasitaemia. Children are understood to present with a much higher parasitaemia and severe malaria. It is a concern that effective malaria control programmes targeting young children may lead to a delay in the acquisition of acquired immunity and, therefore, causing a shift in the epidemiology of malaria. Prevalence and parasitaemia were explored in adolescents and adults with Plasmodium falciparum infections compared to young children in the area of Lambaréné, Gabon as an indicator for semi-immunity.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) during a 6-month period in 2018. Symptomatic patients, of all ages were screened for malaria at health facilities in Lambaréné and Fougamou and their respective surrounding villages in the central region of Gabon. Plasmodium falciparum infections were determined either by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or by microscopy. Descriptive analysis of data on parasite densities, anaemia, and fever are presented.RESULTS: 1589 individuals screened were included in this analysis, including 731 (46%) adolescents and adults. Out of 1377 assessed, the proportion of P. falciparum positive RDTs was high among adolescents (68%) and adults (44%), compared to young children (55%) and school children (72%). Out of 274 participants assessed for malaria by microscopy, 45 (16%) had a parasite count above 10,000/µl of which 9 (20%) were adults.CONCLUSION: This study shows a high rate of P. falciparum infections in adolescents and adults associated with high-level parasitaemia similar to that of young children. Adolescents and adults seem to be an at-risk population, suggesting that malaria programmes should consider adolescents and adults during the implementation of malaria prevention and case management programmes with continuous care, since they also act as reservoirs for P. falciparum.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Child
KW - Child, Preschool
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Female
KW - Gabon/epidemiology
KW - Humans
KW - Infant
KW - Infant, Newborn
KW - Malaria, Falciparum/epidemiology
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Parasitemia/epidemiology
KW - Plasmodium falciparum/isolation & purification
KW - Prevalence
KW - Prospective Studies
KW - Young Adult
U2 - 10.1186/s12936-019-3002-9
DO - 10.1186/s12936-019-3002-9
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 31752891
VL - 18
JO - MALARIA J
JF - MALARIA J
SN - 1475-2875
IS - 1
M1 - 371
ER -
