Malaria Journal最新文献

{"title":"Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance 1 gene polymorphisms associated with outcomes after anti-malarial treatment.","authors":"Veronika R Laird, Mateusz M Plucinski, Meera Venkatesan, Kelsey A Rondini, Milijaona Randrianarivelojosia, Mauricette N Andriamananjara, Hawela Moonga, Deus S Ishengoma, Arlindo Chidimatembue, Pedro Rafael Dimbu, Adicatou-Laï Adeothy, Abdoul Habib Beavogui, Simon Kariuki, Sam L Nsobya, Aline Uwimana, Gauthier Mesia Kahunu, Ashenafi Assefa, Ousmane A Koita, Naomi W Lucchi, Samaly S Svigel Souza, Zhiyong Zhou, Leah F Moriarty, Eric S Halsey","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05248-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05248-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance transporter 1 (Pfmdr1) gene mutations are associated with altered response to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), particularly the combinations containing the partner drugs lumefantrine and amodiaquine (i.e., artemether-lumefantrine [AL] and artesunate-amodiaquine [ASAQ]). Past studies of Pfmdr1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at codons 86, 184, and 1246 have shown different responses to AL and ASAQ.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To determine whether infection with parasites carrying specific Pfmdr1 SNPs leads to increased risk of recurrent parasitaemia (recrudescent or new infection), data from 3,915 samples from 16 therapeutic efficacy studies from 13 African countries between 2013 and 2019 were analysed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients treated with AL and infected with parasites carrying Pfmdr1 N86 were at greater risk of recurrent infection than those whose parasites carried 86Y. After treatment with ASAQ, individuals infected with parasites that carried Pfmdr1 86Y were more likely to experience a recurrent infection.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results support prior studies that suggested: (1) patients given AL and infected with parasites carrying N86 were more likely to experience a recurrent infection; (2) patients given ASAQ and infected with parasites carrying 86Y were more likely to experience a recurrent infection. These findings suggest that ACT and Pfmdr1 genotype may influence outcome after Plasmodium falciparum infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"186"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12160118/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144285384","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":"Performance of molecular inversion probe DR23K and Paragon MAD⁴HatTeR Amplicon sequencing panels for detection of Plasmodium falciparum mutations associated with antimalarial drug resistance.","authors":"Thomas Katairo, Victor Asua, Bienvenu Nsengimaana, Stephen Tukwasibwe, Francis D Semakuba, Innocent Wiringilimaana, Brian A Kagurusi, Caroline Mwubaha, Jackie Nakasaanya, Shreeya Garg, Shahiid Kiyaga, Monica Mbabazi, Kisakye D Kabbale, Alisen Ayitewala, Samuel L Nsobya, Moses R Kamya, Isaac Ssewanyana, Jeffrey A Bailey, Andrés Aranda-Díaz, Philip J Rosenthal, Bryan Greenhouse, Jessica Briggs, Melissa D Conrad","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05441-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05441-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Molecular surveillance of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is crucial for malaria control in endemic regions. Two targeted-resequencing tools, the Molecular Inversion Probe (MIP) drug resistance panel DR23K and the Multiplexed Amplicons for Drugs, Diagnostics, Diversity, and Differentiation using High-Throughput Targeted Resequencing (MAD⁴HatTeR) panel, are widely used to detect resistance genotypes. However, comparisons of their performance for genotyping drug resistance polymorphisms in malaria parasites and their comparative utility for other use cases is lacking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To compare the performance of DR23K and MAD⁴HatTeR in terms of sequencing depth, sensitivity to minor alleles, and precision, each platform was used to evaluate SNP alleles and microhaplotypes in double- and triple-strain mixtures of well-characterized laboratory parasites at densities of 10, 100, 1000, and 10,000 parasites/μL. In addition, 67 Ugandan field samples collected in 2022 were genotyped using each platform to assess performance and concordance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Across the four parasite densities of 10, 100, 1000, and 10,000 parasites/μL, MAD⁴HatTeR exhibited superior sequencing depth (mean reads per locus: 144, 992, 1153, and 1300) compared to DR23K (mean unique molecular identifiers [UMIs] per locus: 1, 4, 49, and 364). For SNP detection, MAD⁴HatTeR achieved 100% sensitivity at 2% within-sample allele frequency (WSAF) at 1000 and 10,000 parasites/μL, whereas DR23K achieved 100% sensitivity at 40% and 5% WSAF at these densities, respectively. Microhaplotype sensitivity was lower for both assays; MAD4HatTeR reached 69% sensitivity at 10 parasites/μL when WSAF was ≥ 10%, increasing to 100% sensitivity at 2% WSAF and 100 parasites/μL. DR23K had < 50% sensitivity at 10 and 100 parasites/μL. In field samples, which commonly contain polyclonal infections, high concordance was observed between the two methods for all SNPs (94%, 1848/1969) and polymorphic SNPs (88%, 898/1019). All discrepancies were attributed to varied detection of minority alleles in mixed genotype infections.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>MAD⁴HatTeR demonstrated higher sensitivity than DR23K, particularly at low parasite densities. Both assays showed strong concordance for genotyping key resistance mutations in field samples, supporting their reliability. These findings suggest MAD⁴HatTeR as the preferred assay for low-density parasite studies and microhaplotype analysis, while DR23K may be appropriate for specific applications with high-parasite density samples, where detection of minority alleles is not prioritized, or when more comprehensive genome coverage is required.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"188"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12164144/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144285382","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":"Improving the utilization of insecticide-treated nets for malaria prevention among pregnant women, lactating mothers and children in Sierra Leone: a commentary.","authors":"Ronald Carshon-Marsh, Erica Di Ruggiero","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05429-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05429-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malaria in pregnancy poses significant public health challenges with severe consequences for mothers, fetuses, and newborns. Despite the proven efficacy of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), the coverage rate among pregnant women, lactating mothers and young children in sub-Saharan Africa remains suboptimal. For example, in Sierra Leone, only 52% of pregnant women and 50% of children under five years utilize ITNs. This coverage rate fell short of the national target, in which at least 80% of pregnant women are expected to report sleeping under an ITN. While considerable research has examined ITN access and usage in the general SSA population, focused implementation research on these high-risk groups in Sierra Leone is notably lacking. Addressing this gap is vital for enhancing intervention effectiveness and achieving sustained malaria control. The authors of this commentary recommend that further implementation research is needed to investigate the barriers and enabling factors to ITN adoption and utilization in pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five years of age. Implementation research is crucial for understanding the gap between ITN access and actual use, enabling the design of effective and equitable interventions to boost utilization rates. Implementation research anchored in frameworks like Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) offers a pathway to decode these complexities, ensuring that global strategies resonate with local realities. By centering the voices of pregnant women, lactating mothers, and caregivers as well as addressing structural, cultural, and logistical barriers, Sierra Leone can transform ITN coverage into tangible reductions in malaria morbidity and mortality, advancing equity in its march toward elimination.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"185"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12153131/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144266545","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":"Eliminating malaria in Nigeria: insights from Egypt's success and pathways to sustainable eradication.","authors":"Stanley Chinedu Eneh, Chidera Gabriel Obi, Onyeka Chukwudalu Ekwebene, Gabriel Chidera Edeh, Oluwabusayo Awoso, Samson Adiaetok Udoewah, Francisca Ogochukwu Onukansi, Ogechi Vinaprisca Ikhuoria, Ikechukwu Alex Okoli, Temitope Olumuyiwa Ojo","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05391-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05391-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malaria remains a critical public health challenge in Nigeria, with the country bearing the highest global burden of the disease. Despite ongoing efforts, malaria continues to exact significant health, economic, and social tolls. Inspired by Egypt's successful malaria elimination strategies, this study explores actionable interventions that Nigeria can adapt to achieve sustainable malaria eradication. Egypt's achievements were driven by robust surveillance systems, vector control measures, political commitment, community engagement, and international collaboration. These strategies are assessed for scalability and applicability within Nigeria's unique socio-political and environmental context. Key focus areas include integrating advanced vector control techniques, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and fostering cross-border partnerships to mitigate transboundary transmission. Additionally, innovative approaches to address drug resistance, enhance public awareness, and promote equitable access to diagnosis and treatment are discussed. The recent rollout of Nigeria's R21 malaria vaccine underscores the need for complementary strategies, such as environmental management and improved surveillance technologies. By adopting a holistic, multi-sectoral approach informed by Egypt's success, Nigeria can significantly reduce its malaria burden, enhance health outcomes, and contribute to global malaria eradication efforts. This study emphasizes the importance of sustained political will, resource allocation, and community participation in achieving long-term success in malaria control and elimination.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"183"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12150471/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144258392","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":"Inter-cluster contamination: a semivariance analysis of community effect ranges of malaria vector control interventions in a four-armed malaria trial in Muleba, Tanzania.","authors":"Charles Thickstun, Eliud Lukole, Jacklin F Mosha, Alphaxard Manjurano, Immo Kleinschmidt, Franklin W Mosha, Jacques Derek Charlwood, Mark Rowland, Ann Jolly, Alice Zwerling, Natacha Protopopoff, Manisha Kulkarni","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05438-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05438-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The presence of a community effect in cluster randomized trials of malaria vector control interventions has led to the implementation of \"buffer zones\" around clusters to limit the potential for contamination between interventions. No consensus has been reached on how large these buffers need to be to encapsulate the effect.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nested within a phase-III cluster randomized malaria vector control trial in Northwest Tanzania, this study aims to determine the presence and spatial range of community effects from long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) interventions on household-level malaria infection in trial clusters four months post-intervention. Effective spatial range estimates of intervention community effects were compared to the 300m buffer distance implemented to limit intervention spillover between clusters in the trial. Geographically-weighted adjusted odds of malaria infection in children aged 0.5-14 years were determined four months post community-level intervention with a randomized allocation comprising one of two LLIN products (Olyset^TM LN: 1000mg/m² permethrin or Olyset^TM Plus LN: 400 + permethrin 800mg/m²) with either IRS (Actellic^®300CS: 1000mg/m² micro-encapsulated pirimiphos-methyl) or no IRS. Robust semivariances were calculated for each of 48 intervention clusters and fit to semivariogram models by Weighted Least Squares.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>6440 children from 2785 households were included in the geographically-weighted logistic regression. Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection was 45.9% in the study population. Twenty (20) clusters had significant residual effect ranges, 13 of which were fit to Sine Hole Effect models, indicating periodicity in the study area. Effective range estimates for the study area had a median value of 1210 m (IQR: 958-1691). Clusters with IRS had a higher median range value: 1535 m (IQR: 976-3398) than those without IRS: 1168m (IQR: 829-1504).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Significant semivariogram model range estimates extended beyond the trial buffer sizes by a median average of 868 m in LLIN intervention clusters and 1235 m for IRS clusters. This presents a contamination, or spillover, potential for all trialed intervention types that may reduce the statistical power to detect difference between trial arms. Future studies should consider the ranges of intervention effects and contamination potential between trial arms when designing buffer areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"184"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12150443/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144258393","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":"Household practices and infrastructure associated with high Plasmodium falciparum infection rates among children under five years old in Northern Uganda.","authors":"Richard Echodu, Sandra Ajolorwot, Frida Aryemo, Christopher Nyeko, Jacob Okot, Tereza Iwiru, Vivian Nakiwu, Amy K Bei, Melody DeBlasio, Natasha Turyasingura, Elizabeth Zhang, Sunil Parikh","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05288-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05288-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>It remains unclear how household structure and practices can contribute to Uganda's goal of becoming a malaria-free nation by 2040. Effective malaria prevention and control require the implementation of measures such as long-lasting insecticidal nets, indoor residual spraying (IRS), treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), maintaining suitable housing structures, and practicing environmental management at the household level. This study examines household structure and practices related to malaria prevalence in children under five years old, as well as prevention and control efforts across five districts in Northern Uganda.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five districts (Gulu, Omoro, Amuru, Pader, and Lamwo) from November 2022 to March 2023 to assess malaria prevalence, prevention practices, and health-seeking behaviours. Data were collected using rapid diagnostic tests for Plasmodium falciparum, observational checklists, and pre-tested questionnaires, with analysis performed using IBM SPSS Statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The survey included 597 households and 4524 individuals, with 25.6% being children under five years of age. Of 1157 children under five, 597 (51.6%) were tested, revealing RDT positive prevalence of 44.1%. Most households had over seven members, with an average of 3.69 people per bed net. While 77.6% of households owned mosquito nets, visual inspection revealed 70.2% were torn, and only 48.7% of individuals slept under a net the night before the survey. IRS coverage was low, with 97.7% of households not sprayed in the last three months. Health-seeking behaviour predominantly involved government health centers. Housing structures, particularly mud/clay walls and grass-thatched roofs, were significantly associated with higher malaria prevalence (p < 0.001). Were their enough untreated nets?</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A high prevalence of malaria was observed in children under five years old. This was closely linked to the poor use of bed nets, low coverage of IRS, and inadequate housing structures, which primarily consisted of grass-thatched roofs and mud or clay walls. The study highlights the urgent need for improved housing, IRS, and consistent use of insecticide-treated nets to reduce malaria prevalence.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"181"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12145591/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144248665","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":"A household randomized-control trial of insecticide-treated screening for malaria control in unimproved houses in Tanzania.","authors":"Olukayode G Odufuwa, Sarah Jane Moore, Zawadi Mageni Mboma, Rehema Mwanga, Fatuma Matwewe, Lorenz Martin Hofer, Isaya Matanila, Said Abbasi, Mohammed Ally Rashid, Rose Philipo, Fadhila Kihwele, Jason Moore, Hien Nguyen, Rune Bosselmann, Ole Skovmand, Jennifer C Stevenson, Joseph B Muganga, John Bradley","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05434-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05434-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Installing insecticidal netting on open eaves, windows, and holes in walls of unimproved houses is a potential malaria control tool. It prevents mosquito house-entry, induces lethal and sub-lethal effects on malaria vectors, and may reduce malaria transmission. Therefore, a household epidemiological trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of insecticide-treated screening (ITS) on malaria infection and indoor vectors in Tanzania.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In Chalinze district, Tanzania, 421 households were randomized into two arms. In June-July 2021, one group of households' houses was fitted with ITS (incorporated with deltamethrin and piperonyl butoxide) on eaves, windows, and wall holes, while the second group did not receive screening. After installation, consenting household members (aged ≥ 6 months) were tested for malaria infection using quantitative polymerase chain reaction after the long rainy season (June/July 2022, primary outcome) and the short rainy season (January/February 2022, secondary outcome). Secondary outcomes included indoor total mosquito per trap/night (June-July 2022), adverse effects after one month of ITS installation (August 2021), and chemical bioavailability and retention of ITS samples after one year of field use (June/July 2022). At the end of the trial, the control group received ITS.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Malaria prevalence among residents in the ITS arm was 19.9% (50/251) and 28.3% (65/230) in the control arm after the long rains, however, this difference was not significant [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.67 (95% CI 0.35-1.28), p = 0.227]. Similarly, no protection was seen for ITS after the short rains, [OR 1.27 (95% CI 0.68-2.38), p = 0.452]. However, school-age children in the ITS arm had lower malaria after the long rains [OR 0.11 (95% CI 0.02-0.73), p = 0.022]. No serious adverse effects were reported. The mean number of female Anopheles mosquitoes caught per trap/night was not significantly different between arms [1.7 vs 2.4, crude relative risk: 0.71 (95% CI 0.16-3.09), p = 0.650]. ITS showed reduced chemical bioavailability and retention post-field use. The trial reported high household refusals (17-30%) in both arms in both surveys.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The trial was inconclusive because households' refusal resulted in low power. A large cluster randomized trial of the intervention, preferably with screens treated with longer-lasting insecticides installed in houses, is needed.</p><p><strong>Trial registry: </strong>The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05125133) on October 2021.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"182"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12147249/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144248662","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":"Climate change and malaria control: a call to urgent action from Africa's frontlines.","authors":"Cyril Caminade, Diego Ayala, Thibaud de Chevigny, Olivia Ngou, André Tchouatieu, Florian Girond, Gildas A Yahouedo, Corinne S Merle, Emilie Pothin, Ibrahima Diouf, Emmanuel Hakizimana, Veronica Noseda, Jane L Deuve","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05431-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05431-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In December 2024, L'Initiative-Expertise France organized a workshop in Musanze, Rwanda, for National Malaria Control and Elimination Programmes (NMC/EPs) representatives from 19 sub-Saharan African countries. The workshop focused on surveillance, modeling, climate forecasting, and innovative control methods to mitigate climate change impacts on malaria. Participants shared challenges, experiences and best practices. Key challenges highlighted include shifts in malaria transmission seasons, disease spread to mid-altitude regions, and infrastructure damage from extreme weather. Additional factors, such as drug and insecticide resistance, the spread of Anopheles stephensi, and changes in vector behaviour, are exacerbating malaria transmission in African cities. Participants stressed the need for collaborative efforts to tackle these evolving threats. This comment reflects the expertise and insights of 19 NMCPs actively managing malaria control and aims at raising awareness, inform policy discussions, and strengthen global partnerships to address the intersection of malaria and climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"179"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12143057/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144248663","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":"Effects of Plasmodium berghei infection on the expression of salivary gland immune-related genes in the Anopheles stephensi mosquito.","authors":"Sakineh Pirahmadi, Zahra Sadat Mousavi Shafi, Zeinab Mohammadi Firouz, Akram Abouie Mehrizi, Jafar J Sani, Hemn Yousefi, Sepideh Siasi, Abbasali Raz, Flora Forouzesh, Leila Darzi","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05430-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05430-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Achieving malaria eradication by 2050 will require the development of novel transmission-blocking strategies alongside existing and emerging control measures. Since the innate immune responses of Anopheles salivary glands determine its vectorial capacity, a detailed assessment of vector-parasite interactions could help identify novel targets that play key roles in the immune response against Plasmodium. In this study, six candidate immune-related genes from Anopheles stephensi salivary gland transcriptomic datasets were selected, and their expression changes were assessed following Plasmodium berghei infection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using RT-qPCR, gene expression profiles at 18 days (early phase) and 21 days (late phase) post-infection were analysed, and the results were compared with those of uninfected mosquitoes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significant upregulation of LRIM8A and DEF1 gene expression was observed at both time points, whereas TEP-12 expression was significantly increased only at day 21. However, no significant changes were observed for P37NB, CLIPA4, and CLIPC4. Among the highly expressed genes, LRIM8A exhibited the highest expression during both the early and later phases of salivary gland infection.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The highest expression levels of LRIM8A at both early and late phases of salivary gland infection underscore its potential as a key immune effector. However, further functional assays are required to validate the role of LRIM8A in mosquito innate immunity. A deeper understanding of the immune mechanisms in Anopheles following Plasmodium infection could contribute to the development of novel malaria control strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"180"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12144816/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144248664","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":"Clinicians' experience with quinine-based treatment of malaria in the first trimester of pregnancy in Ghana: a phenomenological study.","authors":"Prosper Gyebuni, Yula Salifu, Joseph Lasong","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05342-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05342-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In pregnancy, treating malaria with quinine and reducing its adverse effects on pregnant women has posed a significant challenge to clinicians in malaria-endemic areas such as Ghana for over 2-decades. Clinicians' experiences, therefore, play a significant role in clinicians' choices of drugs to safeguard pregnant women. Thus, this study aims to explore clinicians' experiences with quinine-based treatment (QBT) of malaria in early pregnancy in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An exploratory qualitative approach, using a phenomenological design, was employed to allow for an in-depth exploration of the experiences of clinicians with QBT during first trimester pregnancy. The data were collected in-between June to July 2023, through key informant interviews with obstetricians/gynaecologists and in-depth interviews with other cadre of healthcare professionals, with a purposive sample of 26 participants, selected across the 2 largest healthcare facilities (Tamale Central Hospital and Tamale Teaching Hospital) in the Tamale Metropolis. The data were audio-recorded, transcribed and manually analysed using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study revealed that clinicians have negative experiences, beliefs, and attitudes towards quinine-based treatment of malaria in pregnancy. Clinicians' experiences include deleterious side effects of quinine, professional norms, and institutional bottlenecks. Participants also encounter challenges related to clinicians and patient concordance, such as patients' beliefs, adherence to review schedules, fears of medico-legal issues, and myths about quinine which affect treatment choices. Participants' attitudes towards malaria treatment include \"watchful waiting\" and the tension to treat promptly amidst concerns about potential treatment risks. The novel findings of this study were \"watchful waiting\" and the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in early pregnancy with intravenous artesunate.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Clinicians' experiences with quinine-based treatment of malaria in pregnancy affect their attitude towards malaria treatment in pregnancy. Most clinicians with experiences of the side effects of quinine and patient negative beliefs about quinine, desist from prescribing it. It is important for the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to provide feedback systems that allow clinicians to communicate experiences on malaria treatment to policy makers to enable policy review on malaria treatment during pregnancy, particularly in first trimesters.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"178"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12142977/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144234494","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}