title: Asymptomatic Plasmodium malariae infections in children from suburban areas of Yaoundé, Cameroon.
abstract: The gold standard for malaria diagnosis is the microscopic examination of Giemsa stained thick blood smears though microscopy mostly may not detect the presence of Plasmodium species infections in asymptomatic samples. In the reported study, we used two diagnostic methods viz. the conventional microscopic examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to analyse the asymptomatic malaria samples. PCR assay amplifying 18S small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Plasmodium in 122 samples confirmed 68% of isolates as asymptomatic P. falciparum infections; with 87.9% mono-infections. We observed that the P. malariae positive samples were not diagnosed in microscopic examination of the blood smears but the PCR based diagnostic method revealed the presence of 12% P. malariae infections in asymptomatic samples from Yaoundé region of Cameroon where no official cases of P. malariae have been reported for over a decade. The sequence analysis further confirmed the presence of 12% P. malariae in malaria positive samples with three base pair deletions and five substitutions in the SSU rRNA gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, P.O Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon; National Institute of Malaria Research, Sector-8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India; Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants studies (IMPM), P.O Box 13033, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Dongang Nana Rodrigue
authors.initials: DNR
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, P.O Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Ngono Ngane Annie
authors.initials: NNA
authors.lastname: Rosalie
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Malaria Research, Sector-8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, P.O Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Koanga Mogtomo Martin
authors.initials: KMM
authors.lastname: Luther
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Malaria Research, Sector-8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India. Electronic address: vineetas_2000@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Vineeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Mouelle Sone
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Albert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058345:Asymptomatic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D010965:Plasmodium malariae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: Asymptomatic infections; Cameroon; P. malariae; PCR; Sequence analysis