Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-09DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05120-9
Dennis Bardoe, Robert Bagngmen Bio, Denis Dekugmen Yar, Daniel Hayford
{"title":"Assessing the prevalence, risk factors, and socio-demographic predictors of malaria among pregnant women in the Bono East Region of Ghana: a multicentre hospital-based mixed-method cross-sectional study.","authors":"Dennis Bardoe, Robert Bagngmen Bio, Denis Dekugmen Yar, Daniel Hayford","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05120-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-024-05120-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Malaria is one of the world's most lethal vector-borne diseases, causing significant health burdens in endemic countries. Several studies on the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women in Ghana have been conducted in various parts of the country, yielding evidence pointing to intra- and inter-regional variations. The current study assessed the prevalence, risk factors, and sociodemographic predictors of malaria among pregnant women in the Bono East Region of Ghana.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This multicentre hospital-based study employed a mixed-method cross-sectional design. A multistage sampling technique was used to select seven health facilities and recruited 1452 pregnant women who attended ANC at seven selected health facilities. Haematological examination, a structured closed-ended questionnaire, in-depth interviews (IDIs), and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used to obtain relevant data. Quantitative data were analysed with STATA 14 (StataCorp, College Station, USA). Likewise, the four-step thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. A significant level was set at (p < 0.05) at a 95% confidence interval (CI).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The ages of the pregnant women at enrolment ranged between 17 and 40 years, with a mean (SD) of 28.8 ± 3.73 (95% C.I: 28.63-29.02). The overall prevalence of malaria infection among pregnant women was 10.8% (95% CI: 9.32-12.56). Presence of farm or domestic animals, living close to drainage tunnels, living near overgrown vegetation, not married, not having formal education, living in extended-type households, living in compound-type households, mud and thatch households, mud and iron sheet households, primigravidae, multiparity, first-time pregnant women, second-time, third-time, fourth-time, and fifth-time ANC visits, blood groups A, B, and AB were independent factors or predictors significantly associated with increased risk of malaria.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The current study revealed an approximately 10.8% prevalence of malaria among pregnant women. The prevalence revealed, was, however, higher than the national prevalence of 8.6%. The high prevalence of malaria, associated risk factors, and sociodemographic and maternal predictors highlight the need to strengthen screening for malaria, administer treatments, monitor maternal and foetal health, and provide education and counselling.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"302"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11466029/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142391687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-09DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05114-7
Toyin O Akomolafe, Sikiru Baruwa, Emeka Emmanuel Okafor, Ene Daniel-Ebune, Theophilus Ajibade, Osimhen Ubuane, Oluwatobi Morakinyo, Rodio Diallo
{"title":"Factors influencing the acceptability of the test, treat and refer practice for malaria among caregivers of under 5 children at community pharmacies and drug shops in Nigeria.","authors":"Toyin O Akomolafe, Sikiru Baruwa, Emeka Emmanuel Okafor, Ene Daniel-Ebune, Theophilus Ajibade, Osimhen Ubuane, Oluwatobi Morakinyo, Rodio Diallo","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05114-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-024-05114-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Malaria affects children under the age of five and pregnant women, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates. In sub-Saharan Africa, Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) have been identified as key players in the provision of malaria treatment due to their accessibility and availability in communities, but PPMVs are not usually tested before fever cases are treated as malaria or refer clients. The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing caregivers' acceptance of the test, treatment and referral practices for malaria management provided by CPs and PPMVs in Kaduna and Lagos states, Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional quantitative telephone survey was conducted among 150 caregivers of children under five years old who received malaria services from trained CPs and PPMVs between May and July 2022. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed to identify factors significantly associated with the acceptability of malaria management services. All statistically significant factors from the bivariate analysis were explored using logistic regression models, and odds ratios (ORs) with confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to predict acceptability. The 95% level was used to define statistically significant associations (p ≤ 0.05).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All caregivers were asked questions that aided in obtaining a diagnosis of malaria. More than two-thirds of the caregivers (68%) reported that the child was tested by a CP/PPMV. Among those treated (148), 89% reported that the child was administered artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) irrespective of whether the child tested positive or negative for malaria. At the bivariate level, acceptability was greater among caregivers of children aged 13 months and older than among caregivers of children aged 0-12 months (93% vs. 76%, p = 0.004). Caregivers of children who prescribed ACT had greater acceptance than did those not prescribing ACT (92% vs. 69%, p = 0.010). Multivariate analysis revealed that these relationships held.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The adoption of the test, treat, and refer practice as a standard approach by CPs and PPMVs could replace the widespread practice of prescribing medications without conducting tests. This shift has the potential to improve the quality of malaria management services and enhance patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"304"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11465916/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142391689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-09DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05129-0
Subrahmanya Hari Prasad Peri
{"title":"Influence of future climate scenarios using CMIP 5 data on malaria transmission in India.","authors":"Subrahmanya Hari Prasad Peri","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05129-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-024-05129-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, pose a significant global threat, and climatological factors greatly influence their intensity. Tropical countries, like India, are particularly vulnerable to such diseases, making accurate estimation of malaria risk crucial.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study utilized the well-known Vector-borne Disease Community Model, VECTRI, developed by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste. The model was implemented to estimate malaria's Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR). Future climatic prediction datasets, including CMIP 5 and population data sets, were used as inputs for the analysis. Three RCP scenarios are considered (Representative Concentration Pathways are climate change scenarios that project radiative forcing to 2100 due to future greenhouse gas concentrations). The projections covered the period from 1 Jan, 2020, to 31 Dec, 2029.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The estimated mean EIR for the years 2020-2029 ranged, and a significant decline in malaria risk was observed with all RCP 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5 scenarios. Each year 0.3 to 2.6 [min-max] EIR/person/day decline is observed with a strong decline in man rainfall ranging from 5 to 17 [min-max] mm/year and associated high temperatures ranging from 0.03 to 0.06 [min-max] °C/year. During the post-monsoon period, August to November were identified as highly prone to malaria transmission. Spatial analysis revealed that the east coast of India faced a higher vulnerability to malaria risk, which kept increasing through RCP scenarios. Thus, it is essential to exercise caution, especially in areas with heavy rainfall.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This research provides valuable insights for policy-makers, highlighting the need to implement future strategies to mitigate malaria risk effectively. By utilizing these findings, appropriate measures can be taken to combat the threat posed by malaria and protect public health.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"301"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11462906/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142391691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"In vivo efficacy of chloroquine plus primaquine combination therapy against uncomplicated Plasmodium vivax malaria in Limu Kossa District, Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.","authors":"Wakgari Asfaw, Temesgen Bekele, Geleta Geshere, Eba Alemayehu Simma, Chernet Tuge Deressa, Tsige Ketema","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05124-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-024-05124-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Plasmodium vivax is the second most common malaria parasite in Ethiopia. It has been treated with chloroquine (CQ) for the past seven decades. However, the emergence of CQ-resistant strains in the nation urged the Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia to review its national malaria treatment guideline in 2018. In the revised guideline, the first-line treatment for uncomplicated P. vivax infection is a combination of CQ and primaquine (PQ). Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of CQ and PQ combination therapy against clinical P. vivax mono-infection in one of the malaria-endemic areas of Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An open-label prospective clinical trial was conducted in the Limmu Kossa District, Jimma zone, Southwest Ethiopia, from September 2023 to March 2024. A total of 108 patients were recruited for the study. All participants received treatment with CQ at a dosage of 25 mg/kg over three days, followed by PQ at 0.25 mg/kg for 14 consecutive days. Patients were monitored for 42 days for any signs of treatment failure and malaria clinical symptoms, as per the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for anti-malarial drug evaluation. Additionally, haemoglobin (Hb) levels, body temperature, any adverse events, and signs of haemolysis were assessed. Data was analysed using R-software (version 4.0.0) and a significant level was considered at p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The median age of the patients was 23 years, ranging from 2.5 to 62 years. Of the 108 patients initially recruited, 100 completed the 42-day follow-up period. The combination therapy of CQ and PQ for uncomplicated clinical P. vivax malaria demonstrated excellent therapeutic efficacy, with a 100% cure rate observed at both day 28 and day 42. Additionally, the recommended low dose of PQ (0.25 mg/kg) was well-tolerated, with no signs of. Additionally, most common malaria symptoms were disappeared early in the follow-up period.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The combination of CQ plus PQ has exhibited excellent efficacy against uncomplicated P. vivax malaria mono-infections. To preserve this efficacy, it is critical to ensure patients adhere to the full course of PQ treatment, despite its extended duration. Therefore, health authorities should put emphasis on the boosting of the public on the importance of finishing the prescribed medication regimen.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"300"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11463045/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142391690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-07DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05125-4
Taiwo Ibinaiye, Ayodeji Balogun, Emmanuel Salifu, Benjamin Amao, Emmanuel Musa, Daniel Emeto, Samuel Ayoola, Usman Hussaini, Chibuzo Oguoma, Abdullahi Abdulrazak, Zechariah Maleeks, Olabisi Ogunmola, Olusola Oresanya, Kunle Rotimi
{"title":"Adherence to referral advice and its associated factors among community drug distributors and caregiver during SMC implementation in nine states.","authors":"Taiwo Ibinaiye, Ayodeji Balogun, Emmanuel Salifu, Benjamin Amao, Emmanuel Musa, Daniel Emeto, Samuel Ayoola, Usman Hussaini, Chibuzo Oguoma, Abdullahi Abdulrazak, Zechariah Maleeks, Olabisi Ogunmola, Olusola Oresanya, Kunle Rotimi","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05125-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-05125-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Malaria is a global public health problem that disproportionately affects under-five children in poor resource countries. Nigeria accounted for the highest burden of malaria in Western Africa. Thus, seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) programmes have been recommended and have been implemented across 9 states (Bauchi, Borno, FCT, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Oyo and Sokoto) in Nigeria. The study aims to measure the adherence to referral protocol and its associated factors among community drug distributors (CDs) and caregivers during SMC implementation in nine states.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The data of caregiver-child pairs that were identified with fever during the cycle one SMC implementation was extracted from the End-of-cycle (EoC) surveys carried out following cycles one SMC implementation in the study states. The surveys were completed within two weeks of the completion of SMC cycle one. Mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to explore the factors associated with adherence to referrals among caregivers-child pairs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The socio-demographic characteristics of caregiver considered in the model were not found to be significantly associated with children down with fever taking to hospital for treatment, however the caregiver whose child was referred by CDs had significantly higher odds of seeking healthcare compared to those that were not referred (OR: 1.892, 95% CI 1.081-3.310, p = 0.025). There are higher odds of children seeking treatment among those that were referred by CDs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study's findings shed light on the adherence to referral advice and the factors influencing caregiver behaviour during SMC implementation. Referral of sick child during SMC campaign appears to ensure health-seeking for malaria case management among caregivers-child peer in target communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"298"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11457482/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142391686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-07DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05025-7
W M Fong Amaris, Daniel R Suárez, Liliana J Cortés-Cortés, Carol Martinez
{"title":"CAM: a novel aid system to analyse the coloration quality of thick blood smears using image processing and machine learning techniques.","authors":"W M Fong Amaris, Daniel R Suárez, Liliana J Cortés-Cortés, Carol Martinez","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05025-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-05025-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Battling malaria's morbidity and mortality rates demands innovative methods related to malaria diagnosis. Thick blood smears (TBS) are the gold standard for diagnosing malaria, but their coloration quality is dependent on supplies and adherence to standard protocols. Machine learning has been proposed to automate diagnosis, but the impact of smear coloration on parasite detection has not yet been fully explored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To develop Coloration Analysis in Malaria (CAM), an image database containing 600 images was created. The database was randomly divided into training (70%), validation (15%), and test (15%) sets. Nineteen feature vectors were studied based on variances, correlation coefficients, and histograms (specific variables from histograms, full histograms, and principal components from the histograms). The Machine Learning Matlab Toolbox was used to select the best candidate feature vectors and machine learning classifiers. The candidate classifiers were then tuned for validation and tested to ultimately select the best one.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This work introduces CAM, a machine learning system designed for automatic TBS image quality analysis. The results demonstrated that the cubic SVM classifier outperformed others in classifying coloration quality in TBS, achieving a true negative rate of 95% and a true positive rate of 97%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>An image-based approach was developed to automatically evaluate the coloration quality of TBS. This finding highlights the potential of image-based analysis to assess TBS coloration quality. CAM is intended to function as a supportive tool for analyzing the coloration quality of thick blood smears.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"299"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11459806/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142391688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-05DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05103-w
Song Zhang, Punam Amratia, Tasmin L Symons, Susan F Rumisha, Su Yun Kang, Mark Connell, Petrina Uusiku, Stark Katokele, Jerobeam Hamunyela, Nelly Ntusi, Wilma Soroses, Ernest Moyo, Ophilia Lukubwe, Chivimbiso Maponga, Dominic Lucero, Peter W Gething, Ewan Cameron
{"title":"High-resolution spatio-temporal risk mapping for malaria in Namibia: a comprehensive analysis.","authors":"Song Zhang, Punam Amratia, Tasmin L Symons, Susan F Rumisha, Su Yun Kang, Mark Connell, Petrina Uusiku, Stark Katokele, Jerobeam Hamunyela, Nelly Ntusi, Wilma Soroses, Ernest Moyo, Ophilia Lukubwe, Chivimbiso Maponga, Dominic Lucero, Peter W Gething, Ewan Cameron","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05103-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-024-05103-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Namibia, a low malaria transmission country targeting elimination, has made substantial progress in reducing malaria burden through improved case management, widespread indoor residual spraying and distribution of insecticidal nets. The country's diverse landscape includes regions with varying population densities and geographical niches, with the north of the country prone to periodic outbreaks. As Namibia approaches elimination, malaria transmission has clustered into distinct foci, the identification of which is essential for deployment of targeted interventions to attain the southern Africa Elimination Eight Initiative targets by 2030. Geospatial modelling provides an effective mechanism to identify these foci, synthesizing aggregate routinely collected case counts with gridded environmental covariates to downscale case data into high-resolution risk maps.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study introduces innovative infectious disease mapping techniques to generate high-resolution spatio-temporal risk maps for malaria in Namibia. A two-stage approach is employed to create maps using statistical Bayesian modelling to combine environmental covariates, population data, and clinical malaria case counts gathered from the routine surveillance system between 2018 and 2021.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A fine-scale spatial endemicity surface was produced for annual average incidence, followed by a spatio-temporal modelling of seasonal fluctuations in weekly incidence and aggregated further to district level. A seasonal profile was inferred across most districts of the country, where cases rose from late December/early January to a peak around early April and then declined rapidly to a low level from July to December. There was a high degree of spatial heterogeneity in incidence, with much higher rates observed in the northern part and some local epidemic occurrence in specific districts sporadically.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While the study acknowledges certain limitations, such as population mobility and incomplete clinical case reporting, it underscores the importance of continuously refining geostatistical techniques to provide timely and accurate support for malaria elimination efforts. The high-resolution spatial risk maps presented in this study have been instrumental in guiding the Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services in prioritizing and targeting malaria prevention efforts. This two-stage spatio-temporal approach offers a valuable tool for identifying hotspots and monitoring malaria risk patterns, ultimately contributing to the achievement of national and sub-national elimination goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"297"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11452985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142375687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-03DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05085-9
Joel Tarning, Borimas Hanboonkunupakarn, Richard M Hoglund, Kesinee Chotivanich, Mavuto Mukaka, Sasithon Pukrittayakamee, Nicholas P J Day, Nicholas J White, Arjen M Dondorp, Podjanee Jittamala
{"title":"Safety and pharmacokinetic properties of a new formulation of parenteral artesunate in healthy Thai volunteers.","authors":"Joel Tarning, Borimas Hanboonkunupakarn, Richard M Hoglund, Kesinee Chotivanich, Mavuto Mukaka, Sasithon Pukrittayakamee, Nicholas P J Day, Nicholas J White, Arjen M Dondorp, Podjanee Jittamala","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05085-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-024-05085-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Parenteral artesunate is the first-line therapy for severe malaria. Artesunate, in its current formulation, must be prepared immediately before administration by first dissolving in sodium bicarbonate solution and then diluting in saline. A novel solvent for rapid and stable single step reconstitution of artesunate was recently developed showing improved solubility and stability. This study aimed to compare the safety and pharmacokinetic properties of the currently available and newly developed parenteral formulation of artesunate in healthy Thai volunteers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was an open-label, randomized, 4 periods, 4-treatments, 24-sequence, single-dose, cross-over study in 72 male and female healthy Thai volunteers. Frequent pharmacokinetic samples were collected in all volunteers at each dose occasion. Observed concentration-time profiles were analysed with a non-compartmental approach followed by a bioequivalence evaluation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both intramuscular and intravenous administrations of the new parenteral formulation of artesunate were safe and well-tolerated, with no additional safety signals compared to the currently used formulation. The pharmacokinetic properties of artesunate and its active metabolite, dihydroartemisinin, were well-characterized, and showed rapid conversion of artesunate into dihydroartemisinin. Intramuscular administration of the newly formulated artesunate resulted in almost complete bioavailability of dihydroartemisinin. The pharmacokinetic properties were similar between the old and new formulation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The new and more easily prepared formulation of artesunate was safe and well-tolerated, with similar pharmacokinetic properties compared to the currently used formulation. Dihydroartemisinin, the active metabolite responsible for the majority of the anti-malarial effect, showed equivalent exposure after both intravenous and intramuscular administration of artesunate, suggesting that both routes of administration should generate comparable therapeutic effects.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The study was registered to clinicaltrials.gov (#TCTR20170907002).</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"296"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11450984/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142372199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-03DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05118-3
Randolph Ngwafor, Sunil Pokharel, Ricardo Aguas, Lisa White, Rima Shretta
{"title":"Models for malaria control optimization-a systematic review.","authors":"Randolph Ngwafor, Sunil Pokharel, Ricardo Aguas, Lisa White, Rima Shretta","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05118-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-024-05118-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite advances made in curbing the global malaria burden since the 2000s, progress has stalled, in part due to a plateauing of the financing available to implement needed interventions. In 2020, approximately 3.3 billion USD was invested globally for malaria interventions, falling short of the targeted 6.8 billion USD set by the GTS, increasing the financial gap between desirable and actual investment. Models for malaria control optimization are used to disentangle the most efficient interventions or packages of interventions for inherently constrained budgets. This systematic review aimed to identify and characterise models for malaria control optimization for resource allocation in limited resource settings and assess their strengths and limitations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews and Preferred reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, a comprehensive search across PubMed and Embase databases was performed of peer-reviewed literature published from inception until June 2024. The following keywords were used: optimization model; malaria; control interventions; elimination interventions. Editorials, commentaries, opinion papers, conference abstracts, media reports, letters, bulletins, pre-prints, grey literature, non-English language studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses were excluded from the search.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The search yielded 2950 records, of which 15 met the inclusion criteria. The studies were carried out mainly in countries in Africa (53.3%), such as Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and countries in Asia (26.7%), such as Thailand and Myanmar. The most used interventions for analyses were insecticide-treated bed nets (93.3%), IRS (80.0%), Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (33.3%) and Case management (33.3%). The methods used for estimating health benefits were compartmental models (40.0%), individual-based models (40.0%), static models (13.0%) and linear regression model (7%). Data used in the analysis were validated country-specific data (60.0%) or non-country-specific data (40.0%) and were analysed at national only (40.0%), national and subnational levels (46.7%), or subnational only levels (13.3%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This review identified available optimization models for malaria resource allocation. The findings highlighted the need for country-specific analysis for malaria control optimization, the use of country-specific epidemiological and cost data in performing modelling analyses, performing cost sensitivity analyses and defining the perspective for the analysis, with an emphasis on subnational tailoring for data collection and analysis for more accurate and good quality results. It is critical that the future modelling efforts account for fairness and target at risk malaria populations that are hard-to-reach to maximize impact.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </stro","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11448400/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142372198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malaria JournalPub Date : 2024-10-02DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05116-5
Gillian Muchaamba, Kannan Venugopal, Bettina Gächter, Barbara Vogler, Udo Hetzel, Sarah Albini, Matthias Marti
{"title":"Avian malaria in a feral-pet pigeon: a case report.","authors":"Gillian Muchaamba, Kannan Venugopal, Bettina Gächter, Barbara Vogler, Udo Hetzel, Sarah Albini, Matthias Marti","doi":"10.1186/s12936-024-05116-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-024-05116-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Avian malaria is caused by diverse parasite species of the genus Plasmodium, and it affects various bird species. The occurrence of this disease in some wild bird species is sparsely documented due to the scarce availability of samples. Hence the pathogenicity in some hosts is not completely known. In addition, feral birds may act as reservoirs bridging the transmission cycle from wild migratory birds to domestic and zoo-kept bird species.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>An owner of pigeons adopted a feral pigeon (Columba livia forma domestica) and housed it together with his other pet-pigeons. The bird died unexpectedly a few weeks after a surgical procedure and necropsy revealed a severely anaemic carcass, with pale organs and hydropericardium. Histopathologic analysis revealed inflammatory infiltrates in the lung and liver, and monocytes and Kupffer cells contained haemozoin pigment indicative of phagocytosis of Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes. A high erythrocytic infection rate of 18% was evident in tissues and blood vessels in various organs. Furthermore, the thyroid had masses classified as thyroid carcinomas. Immunohistochemistry with anti- Plasmodium falciparum HSP70 antibody revealed positive signals in erythrocytes and intravascular leucocytes. Further microscopy analysis using a Hemacolor-stained impression smear revealed a high parasitaemia with an asynchronous infection showing all erythrocytic stages. Molecular diagnosis by PCR identified Plasmodium relictum, lineage GRW11 as the aetiological agent. The bird presented died most likely due to an acute infection as evidenced by the high blood parasitaemia, leading to major erythrocyte destruction. Further analyses of feral pigeons (n = 22) did not reveal any additional cases of Plasmodium infections.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study reports the first mortality associated with P. relictum lineage GRW11. The study supports previous studies, suggesting that Plasmodium infections are not frequent in pigeons. Host conditions like immunosuppression due to the tumour may have influenced the infection outcome in this fatal case. Use of anti-P. falciparum HSP70 antibody for detection of P. relictum antigens for immune assays in blood and tissue samples will be a useful tool for future studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"294"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11446001/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142365784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}