Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon

BACKGROUND: In areas where malaria is endemic, pregnancy is associated with increased susceptibility to malaria. It is generally agreed that this risk ends with delivery and decreases with the number of pregnancies. Our study aimed to demonstrate relationships between malarial parasitaemia and age, gravidity and anaemia in pregnant women in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. METHODS: Peripheral blood was collected from 311 primigravidae and women in their second pregnancy. Thick blood smears were checked, as were the results of haemoglobin electrophoresis. We also looked for the presence of anaemia, fever, and checked whether the volunteers had had chemoprophylaxis. The study was performed in Gabon where malaria transmission is intense and perennial. RESULTS: A total of 177 women (57%) had microscopic parasitaemia; 139 (64%)of them were primigravidae, 38 (40%) in their second pregnancy and 180 (64%) were teenagers. The parasites densities were also higher in primigravidae and teenagers. The prevalence of anaemia was 71% and was associated with microscopic Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia: women with moderate or severe anaemia had higher parasite prevalences and densities. However, the sickle cell trait, fever and the use of chemoprophylaxis did not have a significant association with the presence of P. falciparum. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the prevalence of malaria and the prevalence of anaemia, whether associated with malaria or not, are higher in pregnant women in Gabon. Primigravidae and young pregnant women are the most susceptible to infection. It is, therefore, urgent to design an effective regimen of malaria prophylaxis for this high risk population

Impact of Plasmodium falciparum infection on the frequency of moderate to severe anaemia in children below 10 years of age in Gabon

BACKGROUND: Improving the understanding of childhood malarial anaemia may help in the design of appropriate management strategies. METHODS: A prospective observational study over a two-year period to assess the burden of anaemia and its relationship to Plasmodium falciparum infection and age was conducted in 8,195 febrile Gabonese children. RESULTS: The proportion of children with anaemia was 83.6% (n = 6830), higher in children between the ages of six and 23 months. Those under three years old were more likely to develop moderate to severe anaemia (68%). The prevalence of malaria was 42.7% and P. falciparum infection was more frequent in children aged 36-47 months (54.5%). The proportion of anaemic children increased with parasite density (p 60%), but was unrelated to P. falciparum parasitaemia. CONCLUSION: Malaria is one of the main risk factors for childhood anaemia which represents a public health problem in Gabon. The risk of severe malarial anaemia increases up the age of three years. Efforts to improve strategies for controlling anaemia and malaria are needed

Evidence of decline of malaria in the general hospital of Libreville, Gabon from 2000 to 2008

BACKGROUND: Substantial decline in malaria transmission, morbidity and mortality has been reported in several countries where new malaria control strategies have been implemented. In Gabon, the national malaria policy changed in 2003, according to the WHO recommendations. The trend in malaria morbidity was evaluated among febrile children before and after their implementation in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. METHODS: From August 2000 to December 2008, febrile paediatric outpatients and inpatients, under 11 years of age, were screened for malaria by microscopic examination at the Malaria Clinical Research Unit (MCRU) located in the largest public hospital in Gabon. Climatic data were also collected. RESULTS: In total, 28,092 febrile children were examined; those under five years always represented more than 70%. The proportion of malaria-positive slides was 45% in 2000, and declined to 15% in 2008. The median age of children with a positive blood smear increased from 24(15-48) to 41(21-72) months over the study period (p < 0.01). Rainfall patterns had no impact on the decline observed throughout the study period. CONCLUSION: The decrease of malaria prevalence among febrile children during the last nine years is observed following the introduction of new strategies of malaria cases management, and may announce epidemiological changes. Moreover, preventive measures must be extended to children older than five years

Clinical and laboratory predictors of death in African children with features of severe malaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The criteria for defining severe malaria have evolved over the last 20 years. We aimed to assess the strength of association of death with features currently characterizing severe malaria through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge) were searched to identify publications including African children with severe malaria. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Selection was based on design (epidemiological, clinical and treatment studies), setting (Africa), participants (children &lt; 15 years old with severe malaria), outcome (survival/death rate), and prognostic indicators (clinical and laboratory features). Quality assessment was performed following the criteria of the 2011 Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2). Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for each study and prognostic indicator, and, when a test was assessed in at least two studies, pooled estimates of ORs were computed using fixed- or random-effects meta-analysis. A total of 601 articles were identified and screened and 30 publications were retained. Features with the highest pooled ORs were renal failure (5.96, 95% CI 2.93-12.11), coma score (4.83, 95% CI 3.11-7.5), hypoglycemia (4.59, 95% CI 2.68-7.89), shock (4.31, 95% CI 2.15-8.64), and deep breathing (3.8, 95% CI 3.29-4.39). Only half of the criteria had an OR &gt; 2. Features with the lowest pooled ORs were impaired consciousness (0.58, 95% CI 0.25-1.37), severe anemia (0.76, 95% CI 0.5- 1.13), and prostration (1.12, 95% CI 0.45-2.82). The findings of this meta-analysis show that the strength of association between the criteria defining severe malaria and death is quite variable for each clinical and/or laboratory feature (OR ranging from 0.58 to 5.96). This ranking allowed the identification of features weakly associated with death, such as impaired consciousness and prostration, which could assist to improve case definition, and thus optimize antimalarial treatment

Travelers With Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cured Without Systemic Therapy

Guidelines recommend wound care and/or local therapy as first-line treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis. An analysis of a referral treatment program in 135 travelers showed that this approach was feasible in 62% of patients, with positive outcome in 83% of evaluable patient

Distinction of Plasmodium ovale wallikeri and Plasmodium ovale curtisi using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction with High Resolution Melting revelation

International audiencePlasmodium ovale curtisi (Poc) and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri (Pow) have been described as two distinct species, only distinguishable by molecular methods such as PCR. Because of no well-defined endemic area and a variable clinical presentation as higher thrombocytopenia and nausea associated with Pow infection and asymptomatic forms of the pathology with Poc infection, rapid and specific identification of Plasmodium ovale curtisi and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri are needed. The aim of the study was to evaluate a new quantitative real-time PCR coupled with high resolution melting revelation (qPCR-HRM) for identification of both species. Results were compared with a nested-PCR, considered as a gold standard for Pow and Poc distinction. 356 samples including all human Plasmodium species at various parasitaemia were tested. The qPCR-HRM assay allowed Poc and Pow discrimination in 66 samples tested with a limit of detection evaluated at 1 parasite/µL. All these results were concordant with nested-PCR. Cross-reaction was absent with others blood parasites. The qPCR-HRM is a rapid and convenient technique to Poc and Pow distinction