Spatio-temporal dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum transmission within a spatial unit on the Colombian Pacific Coast.

As malaria control programmes concentrate their efforts towards malaria elimination a better understanding of malaria transmission patterns at fine spatial resolution units becomes necessary. Defining spatial units that consider transmission heterogeneity, human movement and migration will help to set up achievable malaria elimination milestones and guide the creation of efficient operational administrative control units. Using a combination of genetic and epidemiological data we defined a malaria transmission unit as the area contributing 95% of malaria cases diagnosed at the catchment facility located in the town of Guapi in the South Pacific Coast of Colombia.

[The effect of ivermectin on geohelminth frequency (i.e. as used in the onchocerciasis control program in Colombia)].

Objective: Evaluating the effect of ivermectin on soil-transmitted helminthes (STH) infection frequency in a Colombian population included in the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA).

Methods: This was an impact evaluation study which adopted a longitudinal approach using the population of Naicioná (1996) as baseline for comparison to people from the same population as controls (2008). The cross-sectional approach involved comparing the reference population of Naicioná (2008) to the population of Dos Quebradas (2008) used as controls.

[Genotypic survey of Plasmodium falciparum based on the msp1, msp2 and glurp genes by multiplex PCR].

Introduction: The genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum has been one of the major obstacles for the success of anti-malaria drug therapy. It provides the parasite an ability to evade the host's immune response by generating changes in its antigenic composition and resistance to antimalarial drugs.

Objective: The genetic diversity of P.

[Point mutations in dihydrofolate reductase and dihydropteroate synthase genes of Plasmodium falciparum from three endemic malaria regions in Colombia].

Introduction: Plasmodium falciparum has the ability to counter the antiparasitic activity of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine by progressively accumulating mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) genes. These mutations gradually increase the resistance of the parasite to these drugs and lead to therapeutic failure.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of mutations associated with resistance to sulphadoxine and pyrimethamine in the dhfr and dhps genes of P.

[Efficacy of the amodiaquine+sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine combination and of chloroquine for the treatment of malaria in Córdoba, Colombia, 2006].

Introduction: The decrease in the efficacy of antimalarial drugs in the world and in Colombia hampers its control.

Objective: The in vivo therapeutic efficacy of the amodiaquine+sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine combination was evaluated in the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria and of chloroquine for P. vivax malaria.

[Clinical profiles of patients with uncomplicated Plasmodum falciparum malaria in northwestern Colombia].

Introduction: Few studies describe the clinical presentations of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the province of Córdoba in an endemic area of northwestern Colombia.

Objective: Profiles of patients with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria were described from two twons of Córdoba, Tierrata and Puerto Libertador, based on clinical, epidemiological and laboratory variables.

Materials And Methods: Patients were examined according to standard WHO/PAHO protocols for assessment of antimalarial drug efficacy.

[Acute Chagas disease in Colombia: a rarely suspected disease. Report of 10 cases presented during the 2002-2005 period].

Introduction: In Colombia, reported cases of acute Chagas disease are sporadic.

Objective: Ten cases were described that had been reported to the Parasitology Laboratory of the Colombian National Health Institute between December 2002 and November 2005.

Materials And Methods: Information from clinical records, epidemiological report forms, laboratory and blood tests was collated.

[Soil-transmitted helminth trends and prevalence in La Virgen, Colombia 1995-2005].

Objective: Describing soil-transmitted helminthiasis prevalence and trends in children aged less than 15 in the village of La Virgen, Cundinamarca.

Methods: Three non-random surveys were carried out on school-children aged 0 to 15 years. Intestinal parasitism was determined In the three cross-sectional studies by direct examination of fecal samples and modified Ritchie-Frick concentration method.

[Genotyping of the Plasmodium falciparum msp1 (block 2) and dhfr (codon 108) genes in field samples collected in four endemic Colombian localities].

Introduction: Plasmodium falciparum is a highly polymorphic parasite, which allows it to evade the host's immune response, spread drug resistance and favours transmission.

Objectives: To analyse the genetic diversity of P. falciparum populations in samples from four endemic localities in Colombia.

[Frequency of E. vermicularis in a rural school population of Quipile, Colombia, 2001].

Objectives: To study the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infection in children aged 3 to 14 years in a rural zone of the town of Quipile, Colombia.

Methods: 159 children from 14 villages, with a homogeneous distribution according to their degree of scholarity, were studied. The detection of Enterobius vermicularis eggs was done by the Graham method.