title: Examination of Antibody Responses as a Measure of Exposure to Malaria in the Indigenous Batwa and Their Non-Indigenous Neighbors in Southwestern Uganda.
abstract: Understanding variations in malaria transmission and exposure is critical to identify populations at risk and enable better targeting of interventions. The indigenous Batwa of southwestern Uganda have a disproportionate burden of malaria infection compared with their non-indigenous neighbors. To better understand the individual- and community-level determinants of malaria exposure, a seroepidemiological study was conducted in 10 local council cells in Kanungu District, Uganda, in April 2014. The Batwa had twice the odds of being seropositive to twoPlasmodium falciparum-specific antigens, apical membrane antigen-1 and merozoite surface protein-119, compared with the non-indigenous Bakiga (odds ratio = 2.08, 95% confidence interval = 1.51-2.88). This trend was found irrespective of altitude level and after controlling for cell location. Seroconversion rates in the Batwa were more than twice those observed in the Bakiga. For the Batwa, multiple factors may be associated with higher exposure to malaria and antibody levels relative to their non-indigenous neighbors.
authors.affiliation: School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. manisha.kulkarni@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: Manisha A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gala
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garrod
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.|Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) Research Team.
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berrang-Ford
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.|Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ssewanyana
authors.affiliation: Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) Research Team.|Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
authors.forename: Sherilee L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baraheberwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Blanaid
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.|Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
authors.forename: Kaitlin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.affiliation: Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) Research Team.|Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.|Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda.|Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Didacus B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Namanya
authors.affiliation: Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) Research Team.|Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda.|Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Shuaib
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lwasa
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drakeley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1 / Q000276:immunology; D044382:Population Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C090077:apical membrane antigen I, Plasmodium