Publications by authors named "Marthe Nkalani"
Purpose: The Democratic Republic of Congo has one of the highest burdens of malaria in the world, accounting for 12.3% of malaria cases and 11.6% of malaria deaths.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReports suggest non-falciparum species are an underappreciated cause of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa but their epidemiology is ill-defined, particularly in highly malaria-endemic regions. We estimated incidence and prevalence of PCR-confirmed non-falciparum and Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections within a longitudinal study conducted in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2015-2017. Children and adults were sampled at biannual household surveys and routine clinic visits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Non-falciparum malaria species are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to malaria cases in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has a high incidence of malaria.
- A longitudinal study in Kinshasa Province (2015-2017) found that the incidence of non-falciparum species was 11% for Plasmodium vivax and 7% for Plasmodium ovale within one year, while the incidence for Plasmodium falciparum was significantly higher at 67%.
- Non-falciparum infections were more common in rural areas and among school-age children, and while there were some associations with anemia, they weren't consistent, indicating that
Impact of malaria diagnostic choice on monitoring of Plasmodium falciparum prevalence estimates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and relevance to control programs in high-burden countries.
PLOS Glob Public Health
July 2023
Article Synopsis
- Malaria control programs use various diagnostic methods like RDTs, microscopy, PCR, and BBA to assess malaria prevalence, but data comparing these methods, especially in high-burden areas like the DRC, is scarce.
- The study analyzed samples from 1,431 participants in Kinshasa Province, revealing significant differences in Plasmodium falciparum prevalence rates across health areas, with BBA and PCR showing the highest sensitivity based on prevalence intensity.
- RDTs demonstrated consistent specificity across all regions, but overall prevalence estimates varied significantly depending on the diagnostic method used, indicating the need for careful selection of diagnostic tools in malaria monitoring.
Histidine-rich protein 2- (HRP2-) based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are widely used to detect Plasmodium falciparum in sub-Saharan Africa. Reports of parasites with pfhrp2 and/or pfhrp3 (pfhrp2/3) gene deletions in Africa raise concerns about the long-term viability of HRP2-based RDTs. We evaluated changes in pfhrp2/3 deletion prevalence over time using a 2018-2021 longitudinal study of 1,635 enrolled individuals in Kinshasa Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains one of the countries most impacted by malaria despite decades of control efforts, including multiple mass insecticide treated net (ITN) distribution campaigns. The multi-scalar and complex nature of malaria necessitates an understanding of malaria risk factors over time and at multiple levels (e.g.
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