Antimalarial drugs inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2: An in vitro evaluation.

In December 2019, a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China. African countries see slower dynamic of COVID-19 cases and deaths. One of the assumptions that may explain this later emergence in Africa, and more particularly in malaria endemic areas, would be the use of antimalarial drugs.

Mortality from malaria in France, 2005 to 2014.

IntroductionMalaria is a notifiable disease in all European Union and European Economic Area countries except Belgium and France, where only autochthonous malaria is notifiable. Although morbidity caused by malaria has been assessed, little is known about mortality incidence.ObjectiveOur aim was to estimate the number of imported malaria-related deaths in hospital in metropolitan France.

Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in Grande Comore Island.

Background: Despite several control interventions resulting in a considerable decrease in malaria prevalence in the Union of the Comoros, the disease remains a public health problem with high transmission in Grande Comore compared to neighbouring islands. In this country, only a few studies investigating the genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum have been performed so far. For this reason, this study aims to examine the genetic diversity of P.

Cytotoxic and Anti-Plasmodial Activities of Y.C. Wu Extracts and the Isolated Compounds.

Natural products remain a viable source of novel therapeutics, and as detection and extraction techniques improve, we can identify more molecules from a broader set of plant tissues. The aim of this study was an investigation of the cytotoxic and anti-plasmodial activities of the methanol extract from Y.C.

Antimalarial artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) and COVID-19 in Africa: In vitro inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication by mefloquine-artesunate.

Objectives: At the end of November 2019, a novel coronavirus responsible for respiratory tract infections (COVID-19) emerged in China. Despite drastic containment measures, this virus, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), spread in Asia and Europe. The pandemic is ongoing with a particular hotspot in Southern Europe and America; many studies predicted a similar epidemic in Africa, as is currently seen in Europe and the United States of America.

Contributing to Elimination of Cross-Border Malaria Through a Standardized Solution for Case Surveillance, Data Sharing, and Data Interpretation: Development of a Cross-Border Monitoring System.

Background: Cross-border malaria is a significant obstacle to achieving malaria control and elimination worldwide.

Objective: This study aimed to build a cross-border surveillance system that can make comparable and qualified data available to all parties involved in malaria control between French Guiana and Brazil.

Methods: Data reconciliation rules based on expert knowledge were defined and applied to the heterogeneous data provided by the existing malaria surveillance systems of both countries.

Prevalence of mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, and association with ex vivo susceptibility to common anti-malarial drugs against African Plasmodium falciparum isolates.

Background: The Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine transporter gene (pfcrt) is known to be involved in chloroquine and amodiaquine resistance, and more particularly the mutations on the loci 72 to 76 localized within the second exon. Additionally, new mutations (T93S, H97Y, C101F, F145I, M343L, C350R and G353V) were recently shown to be associated with in vitro reduced susceptibility to piperaquine in Asian or South American P. falciparum strains.

Baseline and multinormal distribution of ex vivo susceptibilities of Plasmodium falciparum to methylene blue in Africa, 2013-18.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum resistance to most antimalarial compounds has emerged in Southeast Asia and spread to Africa. In this context, the development of new antimalarial drugs is urgent.

Objectives: To determine the baseline in vitro activity of methylene blue (Proveblue®) on African isolates and to determine whether parasites have different phenotypes of susceptibility to methylene blue.

Rapid diagnostic tests failing to detect infections by Plasmodium falciparum encoding pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes in a non-endemic setting.

Background: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) detecting the histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) have a central position for the management of Plasmodium falciparum infections. Yet, variable detection of certain targeted motifs, low parasitaemia, but also deletion of pfhrp2 gene or its homologue pfhrp3, may result in false-negative RDT leading to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence, and understanding the possible causes, of P.

Chloroquine as a prophylactic agent against COVID-19?

• Efficacy of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 treatment is discussed. • Prophylactic use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 is considered.

Structural and evolutionary analyses of the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter.

Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) confer resistance to several antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine (CQ) or piperaquine (PPQ), a partner molecule in current artemisinin-based combination therapies. As a member of the Drug/Metabolite Transporter (DMT) superfamily, the vacuolar transporter PfCRT may translocate substrate molecule(s) across the membrane of the digestive vacuole (DV), a lysosome-like organelle. However, the physiological substrate(s), the transport mechanism and the functional regions of PfCRT remain to be fully characterized.

Development and validation of a UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin and rifampicin in human plasma: Application to the therapeutic drug monitoring in osteoarticular infections.

Background: Fluoroquinolones and rifampicin are antibiotics frequently used for the treatment of osteoarticular infections, and their therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a rapid and selective method of simultaneous quantification of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin and rifampicin with short pretreatment and run times in order to be easily used in clinical practice.

Methods: After a simple protein precipitation of plasma samples, the chromatographic separation was performed using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography system coupled with mass tandem spectrometry in a positive ionization mode.

Late clinical failure associated with cytochrome b codon 268 mutation during treatment of falciparum malaria with atovaquone-proguanil in traveller returning from Congo.

Background: The drug combination atovaquone-proguanil, is recommended for treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in France. Despite high efficacy, atovaquone-proguanil treatment failures have been reported. Resistance to cycloguanil, the active metabolite of proguanil, is conferred by multiple mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (pfdhfr) and resistance to atovaquone by single mutation on codon 268 of the cytochrome b gene (pfcytb).

Synthesis and Antimalarial Activity of 1,4-Disubstituted Piperidine Derivatives.

In order to prepare, at low cost, new compounds active against , and with a less side-effects, we have designed and synthesized a library of 1,4-disubstituted piperidine derivatives from 4-aminopiperidine derivatives . The resulting compound library has been evaluated against chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains of The most active molecules-compounds (13.64 nM (3D7)), (4.

Plasmodium vivax severe imported malaria in two migrants in France.

Background: With less than one severe case per year in average, Plasmodium vivax is very rarely associated with severe imported malaria in France. Two cases of P. vivax severe malaria occurred in patients with no evident co-morbidity.

Evaluation of PCR To Monitor Plasmodium falciparum Treatment Efficacy in a Nonendemicity Setting.

Adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) after malaria treatment remains challenging to assess in settings of malaria nonendemicity. Biological evaluation of parasitological clearance relies on microscopic investigation of thick blood smears, which is a specific technique that not all diagnosis laboratories are able to perform. Rapid diagnosis tests (RDTs) and molecular biology techniques are proposed as alternatives to microscope conventional techniques; however, their performance for treatment efficacy evaluation is controversial.

Assessment of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity using CareStart G6PD rapid diagnostic test and associated genetic variants in Plasmodium vivax malaria endemic setting in Mauritania.

Background: Primaquine is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for radical treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria. This drug is known to provoke acute hemolytic anemia in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Due to lack of data on G6PD deficiency, the use of primaquine has been limited in Africa.