Prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners in French Guiana in 2015: a hidden but critical malaria reservoir.
Malaria is endemic in French Guiana, an overseas territory of France on the Guiana Shield. Since 2005, notified malaria cases are decreasing. However, new data show that malaria affects many Brazilian gold miners working illegally in French Guiana, the majority of whom are not counted in official data. In addition, one major concern is the usual practice of improper self-treatment in this mining population, raising fear of the development of anti-malarial resistance. This prospective study, conducted in 2015, aimed to estimate the prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners working in French Guiana.



The recruitment of gold miners was carried out in resting sites along the French Guiana-Suriname border, where they go for supplies, medical care or leisure. After recording agreement, three malaria diagnostic methods were performed: rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and PCR.



Among 421 persons recruited in the study, malaria prevalence, detected by nested-PCR, was 22.3 % (CI [18.3-26.3], n = 94/421) of which 84 % were asymptomatic.



This significant malaria reservoir in a mobile and illegal population with difficult access to a health care system raises the threat of artemisinin resistance and puts the population of the Guiana Shield at risk of new transmission foci while countries of the region aim at malaria elimination. Even though French legislation may hamper dealing with this population, France must face the reality of malaria in illegal gold miners in order to meet its commitment to malaria elimination.
Inserm CIC 1424, Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles Guyane, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Rue des Flamboyant, BP 6006, 97306, Cayenne Cedex, France. mdouine@yahoo.fr.|Equipe EA 3593, Ecosystèmes Amazoniens et Pathologie Tropicale, Université de Guyane, Cayenne, France. mdouine@yahoo.fr.
Maylis
M
Douine
Laboratoire de Parasitologie, WHO Collaborating Centre for Surveillance of Anti-Malarial Drug Resistance, Centre National de Référence du paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, France.
Lise
L
Musset
Inserm CIC 1424, Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles Guyane, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Rue des Flamboyant, BP 6006, 97306, Cayenne Cedex, France.
Florine
F
Corlin
Laboratoire de Parasitologie, WHO Collaborating Centre for Surveillance of Anti-Malarial Drug Resistance, Centre National de Référence du paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, France.
Stéphane
S
Pelleau
Laboratoire hospitalo-universitaire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Cayenne Hospital, Cayenne, France.
Jérémie
J
Pasquier
Inserm CIC 1424, Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles Guyane, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Rue des Flamboyant, BP 6006, 97306, Cayenne Cedex, France.
Louise
L
Mutricy
Inserm CIC 1424, Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles Guyane, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Rue des Flamboyant, BP 6006, 97306, Cayenne Cedex, France.|Equipe EA 3593, Ecosystèmes Amazoniens et Pathologie Tropicale, Université de Guyane, Cayenne, France.
Antoine
A
Adenis
Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department, Cayenne Hospital, Cayenne, France.
Felix
F
Djossou
Centres Délocalisés de Prévention et de Soins, Cayenne Hospital, Cayenne, France.
Paul
P
Brousse
Pharmacy, Centre Hospitalier de l'Ouest Guyanais, Saint Laurent du Maroni, France.
Frédérique
F
Perotti
Malaria Programme, Ministry of Health, Paramaribo, Suriname.
Helene
H
Hiwat
Foundation of Scientific Research Suriname (SWOS), Paramaribo, Suriname.
Stephen
S
Vreden
Equipe EA 3593, Ecosystèmes Amazoniens et Pathologie Tropicale, Université de Guyane, Cayenne, France.|Laboratoire hospitalo-universitaire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Cayenne Hospital, Cayenne, France.
Magalie
M
Demar
Inserm CIC 1424, Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles Guyane, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Rue des Flamboyant, BP 6006, 97306, Cayenne Cedex, France.|Equipe EA 3593, Ecosystèmes Amazoniens et Pathologie Tropicale, Université de Guyane, Cayenne, France.
Mathieu
M
Nacher
D000328:Adult; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D005260:Female; D005616:French Guiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006046:Gold; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D000067572:Miners; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence
D006046:Gold
French Guiana; Guiana Shield; Illegal gold mining; Malaria; Malaria reservoir