Background: Asymptomatic malaria, which usually exists in low parasitemia, acts as the Plasmodium species reservoirs contributing towards malaria transmission. This situation hinders malaria elimination programs in endemic areas, thus necessitating an active case detection with a high sensitive method and treatment of cases. This is why we used a High Resolution Melting (HRM) assay to monitor the trend of asymptomatic malaria in a malaria endemic area of Iran which is under elimination program.
Methods: The peripheral blood was sampled from 271 clinically approved non-febrile individuals from a malaria endemic zone of southeastern Iran for asymptomatic malaria prevalence detection by microscopy, Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and HRM methods. The HRM assay was done based on the amplification of 18S SSU rRNA gene.
Results: The HRM assay revealed infections from three individuals out of 271 (1.1% asymptomatic malaria prevalence) from the participants, two Iranian natives with infection and one Pakistani immigrant with infection. Neither microscopy nor RDTs detected spp infections from the 271 non-febrile individuals. The nucleotide sequencing analysis of the positive controls used in this study showed a close homology with the reference gene bank sequences of 3D7 (CPO16995.1) and Sal-1(UO3079.1).
Conclusion: This study revealed a low frequency of asymptomatic malaria trend within malaria endemic areas of southeastern Iran which are under intense elimination program and also the ability of HRM assay in detecting low spp parasitemia beyond the limits of microscopy and RDTs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.18502/jad.v14i4.5272 | DOI Listing |
Front Immunol
December 2024
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Introduction: Malaria remains a significant burden, and a fully protective vaccine against is critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. Antibody responses against the blood-stage antigen Merozoite Surface Protein 2 (MSP2) are associated with protection from malaria, but its extensive polymorphism is a barrier to its development as a vaccine candidate. New tools, such as long-read sequencing and accurate protein structure modelling allow us to study the genetic diversity and immune responses towards antigens from clinical isolates with unprecedented detail.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
Background: Understanding COVID-19's impact on children is vital for public health policy, yet age-specific data is scarce, especially in Uganda. This study examines SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and risk factors among Ugandan children at two timepoints, along with COVID-19-related knowledge and practices in households, including adult vaccination status.
Methods: Baseline surveys were conducted in 12 communities from April to May 2021 (post-Alpha wave) and follow-up surveys in 32 communities from November 2021 to March 2022 (Omicron wave).
Lancet Microbe
December 2024
Malaria Research and Training Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali.
Background: Triple artemisinin-based combination therapies (TACTs) can delay the spread of antimalarial drug resistance. Artesunate-amodiaquine is widely used for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. We therefore aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine-amodiaquine and artesunate-amodiaquine with and without single low-dose primaquine for reducing gametocyte carriage and transmission to mosquitoes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrop Med Health
December 2024
Department of Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.
Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) targeting the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) are widely used to diagnose P. falciparum infection. However, reports of P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalar J
December 2024
Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Background: Malaria poses a significant public health threat globally, particularly in African regions, where asymptomatic malaria is a considerable logistic problem. Individuals with asymptomatic malaria do not seek treatment, and thus they are invisible to health facilities and represent a substantial hidden reservoir of Plasmodium species. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria and its associated factors in Gorgora, western Dembia district, Northwest Ethiopia.
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