Malaria parasite species composition of Plasmodium infections among asymptomatic and symptomatic school-age children in rural and urban areas of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Malaria Journal

Hiroaki Arima¹  Taro Yamamoto²  Shirley V. Simpson²  Sabin S. Nundu³  Toshihiro Mita⁴  Richard Culleton⁵  Steve Ahuka⁶  Jean-Jacques Muyembe⁶ 

[1] Department of International Health and Medical Anthropology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan;Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan;Department of International Health and Medical Anthropology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan;Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan;Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan;Department of International Health and Medical Anthropology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan;Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan;Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan;Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo;Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan;Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Ehime, Japan;Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo;

关键词: Plasmodium;    Malaria;    School-age children;    Democratic Republic Congo;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12936-021-03919-4

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMalaria remains a major public health concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and school-age children are relatively neglected in malaria prevalence surveys and may constitute a significant reservoir of transmission. This study aimed to understand the burden of malaria infections in school-age children in Kinshasa/DRC.MethodsA total of 634 (427 asymptomatic and 207 symptomatic) blood samples collected from school-age children aged 6 to 14 years were analysed by microscopy, RDT and Nested-PCR.ResultsThe overall prevalence of Plasmodium spp. by microscopy, RDT and PCR was 33%, 42% and 62% among asymptomatic children and 59%, 64% and 95% in symptomatic children, respectively. The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale spp. by PCR was 58%, 20% and 11% among asymptomatic and 93%, 13% and 16% in symptomatic children, respectively. Among P. ovale spp., P. ovale curtisi, P. ovale wallikeri and mixed P. ovale curtisi + P. ovale wallikeri accounted for 75%, 24% and 1% of infections, respectively. All Plasmodium species infections were significantly more prevalent in the rural area compared to the urban area in asymptomatic infections (p < 0.001). Living in a rural as opposed to an urban area was associated with a five-fold greater risk of asymptomatic malaria parasite carriage (p < 0.001). Amongst asymptomatic malaria parasite carriers, 43% and 16% of children harboured mixed Plasmodium with P. falciparum infections in the rural and the urban areas, respectively, whereas in symptomatic malaria infections, it was 22% and 26%, respectively. Few children carried single infections of P. malariae (2.2%) and P. ovale spp. (1.9%).ConclusionSchool-age children are at significant risk from both asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria infections. Continuous systematic screening and treatment of school-age children in high-transmission settings is needed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY