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Gaither C, Morgan C, Kirby R, Karema C, Gashema P, White SJ, Topazian HM, Geibrecht D, Thwai K, Boyter K, Munyaneza T, Muvunyi CM, De Dieu Butera J, Bailey JA, Mazarati JB, Juliano JJ. Prevalence of Falciparum and non-Falciparum Malaria in the 2014-15 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.01.09.24301054. [PMID: 38260604 PMCID: PMC10802648 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.09.24301054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Background Malaria remains a major cause of morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. Undetected asymptomatic falciparum malaria results in a large transmission reservoir and there is evidence of increasing non-falciparum malaria as malaria is controlled in Africa, both resulting in challenges for malaria control programs. Methods We performed quantitative real time PCR for 4 malaria species in 4,596 individuals from the 2014-2015 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey. Bivariate models were used to determine species-specific associations with risk factors. Results Asymptomatic falciparum malaria, P. ovale spp., and P. malariae infection had broad spatial distribution across Rwanda. P. vivax infection was rare. Overall infection prevalence was 23.6% (95%CI [21.7%, 26.0%]), with falciparum and non-falciparum at 17.6% [15.9%, 19.0%] and 8.3% [7.0%, 10.0%], respectively. Parasitemias tended to be low and mixed species infections were common, especially where malaria transmission was the highest. Falciparum infection was associated with socio-econiomic status, rural residence and low altitude. Few risk factors were associated with non-falciparum malaria. Conclusions Asymptomatic falciparum malaria and non-falciparum malaria are common and widely distributed across Rwanda. Continued molecular monitoring of Plasmodium spp. is needed to monitor these threats to malaria control in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Gaither
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Camille Morgan
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca Kirby
- Department of Pathology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | | | - Samuel J White
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hillary M Topazian
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David Geibrecht
- Department of Pathology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kyaw Thwai
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Koby Boyter
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jonathan J Juliano
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Oboh-Imafidon MA, Zimmerman PA. Plasmodium vivax in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Advancing Threat to Malaria Elimination? Am J Trop Med Hyg 2023; 109:497-498. [PMID: 37640286 PMCID: PMC10484284 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Aigbiremo Oboh-Imafidon
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow I, Malaria Population Biology, Disease Control and Elimination Theme, Medical Research Council, The Gambia Unit at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Serrekunda, Gambia
| | - Peter A. Zimmerman
- Professor of International Health, Genetics and Biology, The Center for Global Health & Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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