Malaria Journal最新文献

{"title":"Healthcare utilization patterns and diagnostic delays among international migrant workers with imported malaria in China: a retrospective cohort analysis.","authors":"Taining Sha, Yuanyuan Cao, Kaixuan Liu, Zeyin Chong, Enyu Xu, Yin Wang, Olaf Müller, Jun Cao, Guoding Zhu, Guangyu Lu","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06027-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06027-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Imported malaria poses a growing challenge to elimination efforts in non-endemic countries, with migrant workers constituting a high-risk population. Understanding care-seeking behaviours and diagnostic delays is crucial for preventing secondary transmission. This study investigated the systemic determinants of diagnostic delays among returning migrant workers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using data from the national surveillance system, we retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 2098 imported malaria cases involving migrant workers reported in Jiangsu Province, China, between January 2012 and December 2019. Delayed care-seeking was defined as > 3 days from symptom onset, and diagnostic delay as > 2 days post-consultation. Multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, healthcare utilization patterns, socioeconomic factors (including destination city GDP), and time-to-diagnosis outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for the largest share of infection origins (78.65%, 1650/2098), with Plasmodium falciparum being the leading species (78.41%, 1645/2098). Factors significantly associated with a decreased risk of diagnostic delay included delayed care-seeking > 3 days (OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.44-0.88), non-severe malaria (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.38-0.86), symptom onset > 1 month after-entry (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.31-0.69), and initial consultation at municipal (OR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.11-0.37) or provincial (OR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.16-0.52) institutions. Conversely, higher destination city GDP (Second-level: OR = 2.74, 95% CI 1.88-400) were associated with increased diagnostic delays.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings highlight the need to increase clinician awareness regarding malaria diagnosis, particularly for patients presenting early with mild symptoms. Enhancing primary healthcare diagnostic capacity and educating migrant workers about promptly seeking medical advice are critical for preventing the re-establishment of malaria.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13617932/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382384","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":"Genotypic analysis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites in a clinical trial of RTS,S vaccination in combination with seasonal malaria chemoprevention.","authors":"Emily LaVerriere, Katrina Kelley, Alassane Dicko, Issaka Sagara, Almahamoudou Mahamar, Jean-Bosco Ouedraogo, Issaka Zongo, Halidou Tinto, Daniel Chandramohan, Brian Greenwood, Daniel E Neafsey","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06005-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06005-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Both vaccination and seasonal chemoprevention are effective interventions against malaria, but both morbidity and mortality due to malaria remain high, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. A recent clinical trial showed that the combination of these interventions provided substantial protection against malaria over a five-year period. We performed amplicon-based genotyping of highly polymorphic parasite antigens within 1530 samples from this clinical trial. We evaluated the complexity of infection within these samples, finding that participants who received both interventions had less complex infections (fewer genetically distinct parasite strains) than participants who received either intervention given alone. We also evaluated the prevalence of parasites matching the vaccine construct CSP, at the level of haplotypes, epitopes, and individual amino acid changes. We found no significant differences in the prevalence of vaccine-matching alleles between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. For context, this study genotyped about half as many non-vaccinated participants as the original phase 3 trial for RTS,S. While a comparable number of vaccinated individuals were genotyped in both studies, the infections in this study had less complex infections, leading to an overall lower number of parasite strains to analyze. These results suggest that the combination of vaccination with seasonal chemoprevention provides protection from infection, in addition to clinical disease, and they highlight the importance of continued molecular surveillance as malaria interventions are deployed.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13378066/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148376308","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":"Less is more: modelling the impact of species-targeted versus broadcast larviciding in Anopheles funestus-dominated malaria transmission settings.","authors":"Betwel J Msugupakulya, Fredros O Okumu, Anne L Wilson, Prashanth Selvaraj","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06018-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06018-4","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Larval source management (LSM) was once central to malaria control before insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying dominated. Renewed interest in LSM raises questions about its effectiveness in rural Africa, where habitats are dispersed, and vector species contribute unequally, and whether species-targeted larviciding could offer greater gains than broadcast approaches.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This modelling study quantified the potential impact of larviciding in African settings where multiple vector species contribute unequally to malaria transmission. We modeled malaria transmission in southeastern Tanzania using the EMOD v2.20, an individual-based malaria transmission model incorporating seasonal dynamics, insecticide resistance, and semi-field biolarvicide efficacy. Outcomes were entomological inoculation rate, malaria incidence in under-fives, and operational larviciding costs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Findings: &lt;/strong&gt;Large-scale deployment of biolarvicides with &gt; 1-week residual activity substantially reduced malaria transmission, with disproportionately greater gains when control efforts were preferentially focused on the dominant vector species, Anopheles funestus, compared to broadcast approaches treating both An. funestus and An. arabiensis habitats. In the absence of ITNs, a four-month fortnightly larviciding campaign targeting An. funestus at 80% coverage reduced EIR by 57.7% (CI 56.7-58.7%) and incidence by 39.7% (CI 38.1-41.3%), versus 70.1% (CI 67.5-72.8%) EIR and 55.7% (CI 52.1-59.3%) incidence reductions under broadcast strategies; targeting An. arabiensis alone yielded only 3.1% (CI 2.1-4.2%) EIR and 1.3% (CI 0-2.9) incidence reductions. Starting with 80% ITN coverage, funestus-targeted larviciding reduced EIR by 77.3% (CI 72.1-82.7%) and incidence by 69.8% (CI 62.9-76.8%), versus 90% (CI 87.3-92.6%) and 84.8% (CI 81-88.7%), respectively, with broadcast strategies, suggesting broadcast larviciding provided limited additional reductions beyond those achieved by the funestus-targeted approach. At 40% ITN coverage, reductions were 62% (CI 60.4-63.5%) of EIR and 45.6% (CI 43.3-47.9%) in incidence (funestus-targeted) versus 76.4% (CI 74.5-78.4%) and 62.6% (CI 60.2-65.1%), respectively (broadcast). The targeted campaigns preserved a 30-50% cost advantage while sustaining &gt; 50% dry-season transmission reductions. Finally, high-coverage (e.g. 80%) funestus-targeted larviciding campaigns achieved greater impacts than lower-coverage (e.g. 40-60%) targeting both species.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;In settings where multiple vector species contribute unequally to malaria transmission, preferentially targeting larviciding against the dominant vector species can deliver substantial epidemiological impact with lower operational costs than broadcast approaches targeting multiple vectors. In south-eastern Tanzania, where An. funestus drives most transmission, concentrating larviciding effort","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13591914/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148369041","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":"'Poverty is the biggest barrier': stakeholder perspectives on social determinants of malaria in Wakiso District, Uganda.","authors":"Edwinah Atusingwize, David Musoke, Kevin Deane","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06007-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06007-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite significant resources invested in malaria control interventions for several years, the disease remains a persistent health challenge impacting millions of people especially children and pregnant women in the lower income regions of the world. Progress towards eliminating malaria has stagnated, in part due to the limited consideration of the social determinants of the disease such as poverty. We conducted a qualitative study exploring stakeholder perspectives on social determinants of malaria including lived experiences with the disease in Wakiso, one of the districts with high malaria cases in Uganda.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a cross-sectional study using fourteen key informant interviews at community, health facility, district and national levels, 10 focus group discussions among community members and community health workers, and 11 in-depth interviews with household heads. Data collection was conducted in English and Luganda (local language), transcribed, coded using Atlas.ti. (version 6) and Nvivo (version 14) and analysed using a thematic approach. This paper focuses on the perspectives on poverty as a social determinant of malaria.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The participants linked poverty to malaria through five themes: poor housing conditions; limited access to malaria control services; limited water and sanitation-related exposures; occupational and psychological exposures; and heavy economic burden (consequences) of malaria. The themes are presented under various sub-themes which separately highlight in detail the different pathways of the malaria-poverty relationship. These include: substandard housing structures enabling mosquito exposure; building close to mosquito breeding grounds; homelessness and street life; inadequate malaria prevention and treatment services; limited access to water supply; poor sanitation and waste management practices; occupational exposures; social and psychological constraints; high treatment costs; undernutrition causing low immunity; and loss of income. These perspectives emphasize a cyclic poverty-malaria relationship through the high treatment costs and loss of income due to illness or livelihood disruption.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Malaria is rooted in economic inequalities suggesting that improvement in malaria control interventions through policies and frameworks that address poverty as a consequence, and driver of the disease should be prioritised. The study underscores the need for integrated malaria control strategies that address vulnerabilities related to poverty in all its dimensions-economic, environmental and psychosocial.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13591786/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148361703","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":"Clinical malaria recurrence and associated factors in infancy following IPTp-DP versus IPTp-SP in Busia, Uganda; a secondary analysis using the Conditional Frailty model.","authors":"Edward Ikoona, Adoke Yeka, Charles Natuhamya, Samuel Munyole, Fiona Agweng, Paul Mubiri, Josephine Tumuhamye, John Ssenkusu","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06025-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06025-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under five. Recurrent malaria not only increases the risk of severe anaemia and developmental delays in infants, but also presents unique challenges for statistical modelling, as episodes are often correlated. Studies have explored malaria dynamics in infants but gaps remain in contextualizing specific risk factors and how they influence malaria recurrence using appropriate modelling techniques that account for correlation. This study compared malaria recurrence among study infants and explored associated risk factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a secondary analysis of data from the PROMOTE trial conducted in Busia district, Uganda. A total of 640 infants born to women who received IPTp-DP or IPTp-SP were followed-up for 12 months. These infants experienced a total of 997 malaria episodes. To also assess dependence in malaria episodes and between-infant heterogeneity, the conditional frailty model was used. The PWP-gap time and Frailty only models were used to confirm the true underlying type of event dependence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>IPTp-DP was associated with a modest but non-statistically significant reduction in recurrent malaria hazard compared with IPTp-SP (HR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.82-1.07). Compared with infants whose mothers had no education, infants born to mothers with primary, secondary and higher education had 21%, 42%, and 48% lower hazards of malaria recurrence. Infants whose mothers were 30-45 years had a 28% lower hazard of malaria recurrence compared to those of mothers 16-19 years (HR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.53-0.97). Multigravida mothers had 36% increased hazard of malaria recurrence in their infants compared with primi-gravida mothers (HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.02-1.80). Infants living 3-5 km from a health facility had 40% greater hazard of malaria recurrence compared with infants in less than 1km (HR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.11-1.77). Malaria episodes were correlated but there was weak non-statistically significant evidence of residual between-infant heterogeneity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Compared with IPTp-SP, IPTp-DP did not significantly reduce malaria recurrence in infants. Maternal education, maternal age, and distance to health center were associated with the hazard of malaria recurrence in infants. Recurrent malaria episodes were correlated, with evidence of event dependence across successive episodes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13584279/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148361649","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":"Prevalence of antimalarial drug resistance markers and factors associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection in asymptomatic children prior to rectal artesunate implementation in Kapolowe Health District, Democratic Republic of the Congo.","authors":"Flory Luzolo Khote, Madalena Raposo, Tafadzwa Maseko, Deborah Kanyamukenge, Sebastian Hachizovu, Geofrey Makenga, Eric Mukomena, Aimé Kakudji, Augustin Mutombo, Ghislain Kikunda, Jérémie Sombola, Vivi Maketa, Michael Nambozi, Stephan Duparc, Hans Rietveld, Michael Alifrangis, Helle Hansson, Louise Wellmann, Nathalie Ouare, Christine Manyando, J P Van Geertruyden, Vito Baraka, Hypolite Muhindo Mavoko","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06016-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06016-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In remote areas where access to parenteral treatment for severe malaria or referral is limited, rectal artesunate (RAS) followed by a full course of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) provided by community health workers would be a pragmatic solution. However, concerns remain that its expanded use may select for artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. This baseline study assessed the presence of molecular markers of resistance to artemisinin and partner drugs and investigated factors associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection prior to RAS implementation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in remote areas of the Kapolowe health district, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in March-April 2024. Dried blood spot samples were collected from asymptomatic children aged 6-59 months. Molecular markers of antimalarial drug resistance in P. falciparum were analyzed using targeted next-generation sequencing, focusing on the Pfkelch13, Pfcoronin, Pfubp1, Pfmdr1, and Pfcrt genes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 1242 children screened in 906 households, 656 (53%, 95% CI: 50-55%) were P. falciparum malaria rapid diagnostic test-positive, of which 646 samples were available for analyses. Factors associated with reduced odds of asymptomatic P. falciparum infection included higher household socio-economic status and non-agricultural sources of income, whereas children from households where malaria was perceived as treatable had increased odds of infection. No validated Pfkelch13 mutations associated with artemisinin partial resistance were detected. Several non-synonymous Pfkelch13 mutations were observed more than once, including A578S (7/395, 1.8%). Two Pfubp1 mutations associated with reduced dihydroartemisinin susceptibility, D1525E (88/354, 24.9%) and E1528D (62/354, 17.5%) were observed. No resistance-associated Pfcoronin mutations were detected. The wild-type Pfcrt CVMNK haplotype predominated, while the Pfmdr1 NFSND haplotype (57/379, 15.0%) associated with reduced lumefantrine susceptibility was identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The absence of Pfkelch13 mutations and a full reversal to wild-type Pfcrt are reassuring for directly guiding the implementation strategies of RAS and continued effectiveness of current ACTs. However, the detection of the Pfmdr1 single mutant NFSND haplotype highlights the need for continued monitoring of lumefantrine susceptibility.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13584420/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148352117","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":"Prevalence of molecular markers related to artemisinin partial resistance and ACT partner drug resistance in the Plasmodium falciparum population in Kongo Central, DRC.","authors":"Marius Ahm Stauning, Madalena Raposo, Nono Mvuama, Baudouin Matela, Antoinette Tshefu, Sissel Manscher Iversen, Guylain Sundisa, Aline Maliwani, Cally Roper, Nono Koka, Caterina Guinovart, Jørgen Kurtzhals, Jean Okitawutshu, Michael Alifrangis, Henry Ntuku, Helle Hansson","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06022-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06022-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the cornerstone of Plasmodium falciparum malaria treatment. Recent reports have documented P. falciparum with mutations associated with artemisinin partial resistance in eastern DRC, raising concerns about reduced drug susceptibility. This study examines the prevalence of mutations linked to reduced ACT efficacy in P. falciparum isolates collected December 2024-February 2025 in the Kongo Central Province, western DRC.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Dried blood spots were obtained from children under two years of age attending targeted health facilities and testing positive for malaria with rapid diagnostic tests. Diagnosis was confirmed with qPCR and Illumina-targeted amplicon sequencing was used to analyse mutations in the pfk13, pfubp-1, pfcoronin, pfmdr-1 and pfcrt genes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pfk13 Q613E classified by WHO as potential marker of artemisinin partial resistance was found in a single sample, while pfubp-1 mutations D1525E and E1528D, also suspected of being linked to artemisinin partial resistance were found in 20% and 22% of the sequencing positive samples, respectively. N-Y-S-N-D and N-F-S-N-D were the dominating pfmdr1 haplotypes while the pfcrt wildtype C-V-M-N-K haplotype was highly dominant as well (90%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our results suggest no immediate concern of maintaining artemisinin and ACTs as first-in-line treatment for malaria in Kongo Central, DRC. However, the findings are of concern and continued molecular surveillance is needed to monitor emerging resistance patterns and allow for a timely response.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13584412/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148352240","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":"Mapping the intellectual landscape of malaria drug repurposing: a systematic analysis of the 51 most cited studies.","authors":"Daniel Thakuma Tizhe, Israel Ogwuche Ogra, Jeremiah Zaphnathpaaneah Adaji, Samson Usman, Yonni Eshovo Apeji, Jacob Kwada Paghi Kwaga, Grace Sabo Nok Kia, Kodjovi Sossou","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06015-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06015-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The escalating threat of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin-based therapies necessitates accelerated drug development. Drug repurposing offers a promising pathway to bypass the extensive time and cost of de novo discovery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study conducted a systematic analysis of the top 51 most cited original research articles in malaria drug repurposing identified from the Scopus database. Data on methodologies, drug candidates, targets, and outcomes were extracted and synthesized.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis reveals a field dominated by computational approaches, with molecular docking (AutoDock Vina) and virtual screening serving as primary filters for identifying candidates from FDA-approved libraries. These methods are increasingly integrated with advanced techniques like machine learning for synergy prediction and transcriptomics-guided discovery. The repurposing landscape has identified promising antimalarial activity in diverse drug classes, including anticancer agents (methotrexate, lapatinib), antivirals (lopinavir, ritonavir), and immunosuppressants (everolimus). Key validated targets include the proteasome, PfHT1 glucose transporter, and various parasite enzymes. Candidates such as alisporivir, bazedoxifene, and nitrofurantoin have demonstrated efficacy in in vitro and in vivo models, often showing synergistic potential when combined with standard antimalarials.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The convergence of computational power and biological insight has generated a rich pipeline of repurposable candidates. A quantitative analysis revealed molecular docking as the most frequent (31.4% of studies) and successful strategy, though in vivo preclinical evaluation yielded the highest validation score. Future success hinges on rigorous experimental validation, lead optimization, and advancing the most promising agents into clinical trials to address the urgent need for novel antimalarial therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13584431/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148352101","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":"Malaria among febrile patients during a yellow fever outbreak in Ghana: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Lidiwan Mensah, Anisa Abdulai, Gloria Amegatcher, Deborah Pratt, Evans Aduhene, Magdalene Sarah Nketia Ofori, Abdul Rahim Mohammed Sabtiu, Patience Lartekai Adams, Prince Ketorwoley, Christopher Mfum Owusu-Asenso, Nana Aba Setorwu Eyeson, Kwamena William Coleman Sagoe, Joseph Humphrey Kofi Bonney, Yaw Asare Afrane","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06000-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06000-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Between October 2021 and February 2022, there was an outbreak of yellow fever viral disease that spread within several districts in the northern part of Ghana. Malaria is the leading cause of death in most sub-Saharan countries including Ghana. It is important that surveillance is focused on malaria among febrile patients during a yellow fever outbreak in Ghana. This study investigated infection with malaria among febrile patients during a yellow fever outbreak in Ghana.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was a cross-sectional study conducted in two yellow fever outbreak sites (Wenchi and Damongo) and two non-outbreak sites (Kumbungu and Tamale). A total of 498 febrile patients from healthcare facilities were recruited in the rainy and dry seasons. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect patients' demographic information. Venous blood was collected from consented study participants for malaria parasite detection via microscopy and nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Total RNA was extracted from serum samples for the detection of yellow fever virus using Reverse Transcription-PCR (RT-PCR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>None of the patients tested positive for yellow fever virus by RT-PCR. Out of a total of 498 febrile participants, 129/498 (25.90%) tested positive by PCR for P. falciparum parasites and 378 were examined for malaria microscopy with 54/378 (14.29%) testing positive to P. falciparum parasite detection. While there were 54/410 (13.17%) cases of P. falciparum infections via microscopy in the rainy season there was no positive infection in the dry season 0/88 (0%). However, the difference in malaria prevalence via PCR in the rainy and dry seasons was not significant (P > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Nucleic acid for yellow fever was not detected among all the febrile patients. High malaria prevalence was found in participants in the study sites, affecting preschool and the school-aged children the most. This suggests an underscoring urgent need for malaria interventions to mitigate high transmission within communities especially among school-based populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13584243/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148352141","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":"Prevalence of malaria and its major parasite species in Bangladesh: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Jibon Kumar Sarker, Nourin Sultana, Tajin Ahmed Jisa, Mst Dilara Pervin, Md Kaderi Kibria","doi":"10.1186/s12936-026-06014-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-026-06014-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in Bangladesh with ongoing transmission driven primarily by Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Understanding its current prevalence and parasite distribution is essential for guiding control and elimination strategies. This study aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of malaria and its major parasite species across the country. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Science Direct, EMBASE and Google Scholar for studies published between 2005 to 2025. Eligible studies were assessed for quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated using random-effects models while heterogeneity and inconsistencies were evaluated using the I² index and Cochran's Q-test. Publication bias was assessed with funnel plots and Egger's test. Of 10,152 identified studies, 14 met inclusion criteria. The pooled malaria prevalence in Bangladesh was 16% (95% CI 6%-37%) with high heterogeneity (I² = 99.6%, p = 0). Subgroup analyses showed prevalence's of 14% (95% CI 9%-21%) for P. vivax, 80% (95% CI 68%-88%) for P. falciparum and 7% (95% CI 4%-13%) for mixed infections. Malaria prevalence was higher in males (20%, 95% CI 7%-47%) than females (12%, 95% CI 3%-35%). Funnel plot asymmetry was observed but Egger's test indicated no significant publication bias. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution as reliance on microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests may have limited the detection of non-falciparum, mixed-species and submicroscopic malaria infections. This study highlights the substantial malaria burden in Bangladesh, driven mainly by P. falciparum and P. vivax and underscores the need for targeted, species-specific and gender-sensitive interventions to accelerate malaria control and elimination.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13576336/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148339257","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}