Background: The diagnosis of malaria cases in regions where the malaria burden has decreased significantly and prevalence is very low is more challenging, in part because of reduced clinical presumption of malaria. The appearance of a cluster of malaria cases with atypical symptoms in Mbounguiel, a village in northern Senegal where malaria transmission is low, in September 2018 exemplifies this scenario. The collaboration between the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) at the Senegal Ministry of Health and the Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology at Cheikh Anta Diop University worked together to evaluate this cluster of malaria cases using molecular and serological tools.
Methods: Malaria cases were diagnosed primarily by rapid diagnostic test (RDT), and confirmed by photo-induced electron transfer-polymerase chain reaction (PET-PCR). 24 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) barcoding was used for Plasmodium falciparum genotyping. Unbiased metagenomic sequencing and Luminex-based multi-pathogen antibody and antigen profiling were used to assess exposure to other pathogens.
Results: Nine patients, of 15 suspected cases, were evaluated, and all nine samples were found to be positive for P. falciparum only. The 24 SNPs molecular barcode showed the predominance of polygenomic infections, with identifiable strains being different from one another. All patients tested positive for the P. falciparum antigens. No other pathogenic infection was detected by either the serological panel or metagenomic sequencing.
Conclusions: This work, undertaken locally within Senegal as a collaboration between the NMCP and a research laboratory at University of Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) revealed that a cluster of malaria cases were caused by different strains of P. falciparum. The public health response in real time demonstrates the value of local molecular and genomics capacity in affected countries for disease control and elimination.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03637-x | DOI Listing |
Trop Med Int Health
December 2024
Department of Medical Entomology & Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background: The study aims to determine the host preference for blood feeding among potential hosts of Anopheles stephensi in Iran, using the Multiplex-PCR method. An. stephensi is the primary malaria vector in urban areas of South Asia and the Middle East, including southern Iran, where approximately 30.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalar J
December 2024
School of Microbiology, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
Background: Gestational malaria (GM) is a serious public health problem, control of GM requires guarantee universal access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. In Colombia, no studies have been conducted on barriers to healthcare access for pregnant women exposed to GM. The objective of this study was to analyse the barriers to healthcare access for women at risk of GM in an endemic region of Colombia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNPJ Vaccines
December 2024
Grupo Integrado de Pesquisa em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou-Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza A virus (IAV) are significant agents of pneumonia cases and severe respiratory infections globally. Secondary bacterial infections, particularly by Streptococcus pneumoniae, are common in IAV-infected individuals, leading to critical outcomes. Despite reducing mortality, pneumococcal vaccines have high production costs and are serotype specific.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalar J
December 2024
Department of Biology, Jigjiga University, Jigjiga, Ethiopia.
Background: Despite significant efforts to control malaria infections in recent years, new infection rates continue to pose a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. This study aims to identify the key factors of malaria infection among children under five years (U5) in the Gursum district of Somali region, Eastern Ethiopia.
Methods: An institution-based case-control study was conducted over two months, from June to July 2020.
Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis
December 2024
Department of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. Electronic address:
Leishmanias is a parasitic infection caused by a protozoan belonging to the genus Leishmania and transmitted by sand fly, Phlebotomus fly in the old world and Lutzomyia in the New world. The disease is prevalent in the tropics, subtropics, and Southern Europe, where it affects about 1.5 million to 2 million people annually.
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