Challenging diagnosis of Plasmodium ovale malaria in a Colombian traveler: the importance of including P. ovale wallikeri in molecular screening.

This study reports a challenging diagnosis of Plasmodium ovale malaria in a Colombian citizen returning from Cameroon. Initial microscopy screenings conducted at two private hospitals yielded conflicting results, with the first showing negative smears and the second diagnosing P. vivax.

Molecular surveillance for anti-malarial drug resistance and genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum after chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine withdrawal in Quibdo, Colombia, 2018.

Background: Resistance to anti-malarial drugs is associated with polymorphisms in target genes and surveillance for these molecular markers is important to detect the emergence of mutations associated with drug resistance and signal recovering sensitivity to anti-malarials previously used.

Methods: The presence of polymorphisms in genes associated with Plasmodium falciparum resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine was evaluated by Sanger sequencing, in 85 P. falciparum day of enrollment samples from a therapeutic efficacy study of artemether-lumefantrine conducted in 2018-2019 in Quibdo, Colombia.

Etiology of Microcephaly and Central Nervous System Defects during the Zika Epidemic in Colombia.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of microcephaly and central nervous system (CNS) defects during the Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in Colombia and proportion attributable to congenital ZIKV infection.

Study Design: Clinical and laboratory data for cases of microcephaly and/or CNS defects reported to national surveillance between 2015 and 2017 were reviewed and classified by a panel of clinical subject matter experts. Maternal and fetal/infant biologic specimens were tested for congenital infection and chromosomal abnormalities.

Concordance analysis of three diagnostic tests for malaria in the symptomatic population of Colombian endemic municipalities.

Introduction: Taking into account the difficulty of performing malaria microscopic diagnosis in rural areas, rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) are a good alternative, but it is important to verify their diagnostic performance. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the RDTs used in five Colombian departments by comparing them with the microscopic diagnosis and using PCR as the reference standard. Materials and methods: Thick blood film and RDTs were used to diagnose symptomatic individuals; additionally, the filter paper was impregnated with blood for the molecular test.

Artemether-Lumefantrine Efficacy for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Malaria in Choco, Colombia after 8 Years as First-Line Treatment.

Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is the first-line treatment for uncomplicated infection in Colombia. To assess AL efficacy for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Quibdo, Choco, Colombia, we conducted a 28-day therapeutic efficacy study (TES) following the WHO guidelines. From July 2018 to February 2019, febrile patients aged 5-65 years with microscopy-confirmed mono-infection and asexual parasite density of 250-100,000 parasites/µL were enrolled and treated with a supervised 3-day course of AL.

Congenital cerebral toxoplasmosis, Zika and chikungunya virus infections: a case report.

We report a case of intrauterine infection by Toxoplasma gondii, Chikungunya and Zika viruses in a Colombian woman from the southern part of the country. The patient attended prenatal care in the second trimester of her pregnancy and she informed that in the first trimester she had presented with clinical symptoms compatible with Zika virus infection. Amniotic fluid PCR assays showed infection by T.

Comparison of methodologies for microscopic malaria diagnosis.

Introduction: As part of the pre-elimination plan for malaria in Colombia, it has been proposed to develop activities within the line of work: “Improve access and quality of malaria diagnosis”. Objective: To compare the methodology recommended by PAHO/WHO with that used in Colombia for the diagnosis of malaria. Materials and methods: Samples were collected and 88 slides were prepared for malaria diagnosis, under different scenarios according to the parameters to be evaluated.

[Gene polymorphisms in the dihydrofolate reductase ( dhfr ) and dihydropteroate synthase ( dhps ) genes and structural modelling of the dhps gene in Colombian isolates of Toxoplasma gondii].

Introduction: There are no reports describing polymorphisms in target genes of anti- Toxoplasma drugs in South American isolates.

Objective: This study sought to perform cloning and sequencing of the dihydrofolate reductase ( dhfr ) and dihydropteroate-synthase ( dhps ) genes of the reference Rh strain and two Colombian isolates of Toxoplasma gondii .

Materials And Methods: Two isolates were obtained from the cerebrospinal fluid of HIV-infected patients with cerebral toxoplasmosis.

[Characterization of the national malaria diagnostic network, Colombia, 2006-2010].

Introduction: The implementation and development of activities of the quality assurance system of malaria diagnosis, allows the adequate operation of the national diagnostic network, needed to strengthen prevention and control actions of this important public health problem.

Objective: To characterize the malaria diagnosis network in Colombia between 2006 and 2010.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study was made by reviewing the annual reports of malaria diagnosis network activities that were sent by the Public Health Laboratories (PHL) between 2006 and 2010.

Paradoxical associations between soil-transmitted helminths and Plasmodium falciparum infection.

Evidence on the comorbidity between soil-transmitted helminth infections and malaria is scarce and divergent. This study explored the interactions between soil-transmitted helminth infections and uncomplicated falciparum malaria in an endemic area of Colombia. A paired case-control study matched by sex, age and location in Tierralta, Cordoba, was done between January and September 2010.

Resistance evolution in HIV - modeling when to intervene.

The treatment of HIV is complicated by the evolution of antiviral drug resistant virus and the limited availability of antigenically independent antiviral regimens. The consequences to the patient of successive virological failures is such that many strategies to minimize the occurrence of such failures are being investigated. In this paper, a Markov chain-based model of virological failure is introduced.

Asymptomatic Plasmodium spp. infection in Tierralta, Colombia.

With the aim of determining the prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium spp. infection by thick smear and PCR and its association with demographic and epidemiological characteristics in the village of Nuevo Tay, Tierralta, Córdoba, Colombia, a cross-sectional population study was carried out, using random probabilistic sampling. Venous blood samples were taken from 212 people on day 0 for thick smear and PCR.

[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.

[Evaluation of two rapid diagnostic tests, NOW ICT Malaria Pf/Pv and OptiMAL, for diagnosis of malaria].

Introduction: To increase the accessibility of malaria diagnosis, the Instituto Nacional de Salud de Colombia undertook a field trial to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of two rapid diagnostic tests.

Objective: The sensitivity, specificity and concordance was compared for two rapid diagnostic tests for malaria, NOW ICT Malaria Pf/Pv and OptiMAL.

Materials And Methods: A descriptive and concordance study was performed with 214 patients in the southwestern coastal city of Tumaco, Colombia, each of whom presented at least one of the symptoms of the classical malaria triad.