title: High prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection in Gabonese adults.
abstract: Plasmodium falciparum, the most common malarial parasite in sub-Saharan Africa, accounts for a high number of deaths in children less than five years of age. In malaria-endemic countries with stable transmission, semi-immunity is usually acquired after childhood. For adults, severe malaria is rare. Infected adults have either uncomplicated malaria or asymptomatic parasitemia. During a period of one year, we screened 497 afebrile males to investigate the prevalence of asymptomatic P. falciparum parasitemia in villages near Lambaréné, Gabon by use of three different methods. A total of 52% of the individuals had parasites detected by a subtelomeric variable open reading frame polymerase chain reaction (stevor-PCR), 27% of the rapid diagnostic test results were positive, and 12% of the thick blood smears with low parasitemias had P. falciparum. Most positive cases were only detected by the stevor-PCR. Asymptomatic P. falciparum parasitemia in adults living in a malaria-endemic country is frequent.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Unit, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Lambaréné, Gabon. matthiasdalbianco@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Matthias P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dal-Bianco
authors.forename: Kai B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Köster
authors.forename: Ulrich D
authors.initials: UD
authors.lastname: Kombila
authors.forename: Jürgen F J
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kun
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Grobusch
authors.forename: Ghyslain Mombo
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ngoma
authors.forename: Pierre B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Matsiegui
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Supan
authors.forename: Carmen L Ospina
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: Michel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Missinou
authors.forename: Saadou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Issifou
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lell
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kremsner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum; D015995:Prevalence