A seroepidemiological study to evaluate the role of passive maternal immunity to malaria in infants.
Parasitaemias and loss of natural antibody to Plasmodium falciparum were studied in 104 infants in a highly endemic area of Papua New Guinea. There were 4 cases of congenital infection. Most infants lost malaria-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) between 4 and 7 months (median = 21 weeks). 73% of heavy infections developed in infants without detectable antimalarial IgG. Infections in the presence of antimalarial IgG were asymptomatic and had scanty parasitaemias.
Sehgal
V M
VM
School of Public Health, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96816.
Siddjiqui
W A
WA
Alpers
M P
MP
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
D007074:Immunoglobulin G