title: Congenital malaria in Calabar, Nigeria: the molecular perspective.
abstract: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been shown to be more sensitive in detecting low-level parasitemia than conventional blood film microscopy. We estimated the prevalence of congenital malaria using nested PCR amplification of the small subunit 18S RNA gene to detect low-level parasitemia and identify Plasmodium species in 204 mother-neonate pairs. Cord-blood parasitemia was detected in four babies by PCR, giving a prevalence of 2.0%. The newborns of primidgravidae were more susceptible to congenital malaria than those of multigravidae (P < 0.0001). There was a strong correlation between placental malaria and congenital malaria (odds ratio = 10.1, 95% confidence interval = 1.3-76.1, P = 0.0487). We conclude that the prevalence of congenital malaria in Calabar detected by PCR is lower than has been reported in this environment through microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Diseases Research and Prevention, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Cross River State, Calabar, Nigeria. olabisioduwole@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Olabisi A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Oduwole
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Ejezie
authors.forename: Friday A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Odey
authors.forename: Chioma M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Oringanje
authors.forename: Davis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nwakanma
authors.forename: Segun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Eniyou
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oriero
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Okebe
authors.forename: Anyawu A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alaribe
authors.forename: Saturday
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Etuk
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meremikwu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood / Q000151:congenital* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood; D010298:Parity; D010920:Placenta / Q000469:parasitology; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan