Specific Receptor Usage in Plasmodium falciparum Cytoadherence Is Associated with Disease Outcome

Our understanding of the basis of severe disease in malaria is incomplete. It is clear that pathology is in part related to the pro-inflammatory nature of the host response but a number of other factors are also thought to be involved, including the interaction between infected erythrocytes and endothelium. This is a complex system involving several host receptors and a major parasite-derived variant antigen (PfEMP1) expressed on the surface of the infected erythrocyte membrane. Previous studies have suggested a role for ICAM-1 in the pathology of cerebral malaria, although these have been inconclusive. In this study we have examined the cytoadherence patterns of 101 patient isolates from varying clinical syndromes to CD36 and ICAM-1, and have used variant ICAM-1 proteins to further characterise this adhesive phenotype. Our results show that increased binding to CD36 is associated with uncomplicated malaria while ICAM-1 adhesion is raised in parasites from cerebral malaria cases

Taking Children's Voices in Disaster Risk Reduction a Step Forward

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) continues to gain momentum globally and locally, but there is a notable void in the DRR literature on the role of children in community-level disaster risk management in Zimbabwe. Children are among the most vulnerable groups when disasters occur, yet their voices in disaster risk reduction are rarely heard. Using a qualitative methodology, this article examines the extent to which children are involved in disaster risk reduction in Muzarabani District, Zimbabwe. Despite evidence of the potential positive impact that children can have on DRR, their involvement in risk reduction planning in Zimbabwe is negligible. To achieve greater resilience to disasters requires that children's voices are heard and recognized as central to improved disaster risk reduction