Malaria on the Guiana Shield: a review of the situation in French Guiana

Abstract

In a climate of growing concern that Plasmodium falciparum may be developing a drug resistance to artemisinin derivatives in the Guiana Shield, this review details our current knowledge of malaria and control strategy in one part of the Shield, French Guiana. Local epidemiology, test-treat-track strategy, the state of parasite drug resistance and vector control measures are summarised. Current issues in terms of mobile populations and legislative limitations are also discussed.

Mapping a Knowledge-Based Malaria Hazard Index Related to Landscape Using Remote Sensing: Application to the Cross-Border Area between French Guiana and Brazil

“…After 2009, an apparent decrease was also observed [40,41]. However, a global recrudescence of the number of malaria cases occurred in the inland region (Saül, Cacao, Régina) and Eastern French Guiana (Camopi and Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock), with a global incidence rate reaching 55.2 cases per 1000 inhabitants in 2013 [4]. On the other side of the border, Oiapoque is the most affected municipality of the State of Amapá, with about 3940 cases reported between January and October 2011, representing a 12% increase when compared to the same period in 2010 [42].…”

“…The cross-border area between French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá (Figure 1) is symptomatic of such conditions that constitute an obstacle for malaria elimination [3]. Identifying, characterizing, and mapping malaria risk factors are of primary importance in order to better target control strategies and anticipate possible recrudescence of malaria due to environmental and socio-demographic changes and to the development of possible drug and insecticide resistance [4]. Anopheles darlingi is considered as the principal vector of malaria in the Amazon region [5].…”

“…Natural and human-driven environmental changes, such as climate variability [10][11][12][13] and land use and land cover (LULC) changes [13][14][15][16][17][18][19], can determine the malaria distribution by influencing the habitats of adults and larvae. Prevention and treatment measures [20] and mobility of humans infected by Plasmodium [4,15] also influence such distribution.…”

A Large Outbreak of Thiamine Deficiency Among Illegal Gold Miners in French Guiana

“…1 Gold camps are isolated and represent a risk for the health and safety of not only the local populations, who depend on the forest for their livelihoods, but also for gold miners who themselves are the first victims of the precarious conditions they live in. [2][3][4][5] Beriberi is a clinical syndrome caused by vitamin B 1 (thiamine) deficiency. The principal manifestations are cardiovascular (cardiac failure, lactic acidosis, and death due to cardiac and vasodilatory shock) and neurological (peripheral neuropathy or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome).…”

Fusion of field studies and the laboratory solves a puzzle in antimalarial resistance

“…Relatively low malaria transmission leading to limited genetic diversity of the parasite populations, coupled with profligate misuse of antimalarials, characterize the selective environment of the Guiana Shield region in which these parasites evolved (23). Similar elements are implicated in selection of antimalarial-resistant parasites in Southeast Asia (24), and this information may aid in better understanding of the piperaquine failure observed there recently (25).…”