High prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection in Gabonese adults.
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.
Dal-Bianco
Matthias P
MP
Medical Research Unit, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Lambaréné, Gabon. matthiasdalbianco@yahoo.com
Köster
Kai B
KB
Kombila
Ulrich D
UD
Kun
Jürgen F J
JF
Grobusch
Martin P
MP
Ngoma
Ghyslain Mombo
GM
Matsiegui
Pierre B
PB
Supan
Christian
C
Salazar
Carmen L Ospina
CL
Missinou
Michel A
MA
Issifou
Saadou
S
Lell
Bertrand
B
Kremsner
Peter
P
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