Assessment of Antibody Responses in Local and Immigrant Residents of Areas with Autochthonous Malaria Transmission in Greece

Piperaki, Evangelia-Theophano; Mavrouli, Maria; Tseroni, Maria; Routsias, John G.; Kallimani, Athina; Veneti, Lamprini; Georgitsou, Maria; Chania, Maria; Georgakopoulou, Theano; Hadjichristodoulou, Christos; Tsakris, Athanassios

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.14-0420

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Taking into consideration that underreporting is very likely, we assume that a significant percentage of the Pakistani migrants have been exposed to P. vivax since childhood and are carriers of P. vivax hypnozoites, while their relapses can be asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic as is indicated from our results and other related studies [30][31][32][33][34]. Detection of hypnozoites through a biological method is currently not possible, and serology is not widely accepted as a potential diagnostic method of infection, while it is difficult to implement systematically [35,36]. In addition to the above, further barriers due to documentation status, low risk perception of malaria and language barriers discourage these migrants from accessing health care services promptly.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

The Importance of an Active Case Detection (ACD) Programme for Malaria among Migrants from Malaria Endemic Countries: The Greek Experience in a Receptive and Vulnerable Area

Tseroni

Georgitsou

Baka

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Greece has been malaria-free since 1974. In October 2011, following an outbreak of 36 locally acquired malaria (LAM) cases in Evrotas Municipality, a Pro-Active Case Detection (PACD) program for malaria was implemented among migrants from malaria-endemic countries, to support early diagnosis and treatment of cases. We evaluated the PACD program for the years 2012–2017 using indicators such as the number of locally acquired cases, the detection rate/sensitivity and the timeliness of diagnosis and treatment. We visited each migrant home every 7–15 days to screen migrants for malaria symptoms, performing Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and blood smears on symptomatic patients. We estimated: (i) the number of malaria cases detected by the PACD, divided by the total number of reported malaria cases during the same period among the same population; (ii) the time between onset of symptoms, diagnosis and initiation of treatment. The total number of migrants who were screened for malaria symptoms for the years 2012–2017 was 5057 with 84,169 fever screenings conducted, while 2288 RDTs and 1736 blood smears were performed. During the same period, 53 imported P. vivax malaria cases were detected, while incidence of malaria among migrants was estimated at 1.8% annually. Ten and one LAM cases were also reported in 2012 and 2015, respectively. Sensitivity of PACD ranged from 86% to 100%; median timeliness between onset of symptoms and diagnosis decreased from 72 h in 2012 to 12 h in 2017 (83% decrease), while timeliness between diagnosis and treatment initiation was 0 h. The implementation of PACD could be considered an effective prevention and response tool against malaria re-introduction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

The Importance of an Active Case Detection (ACD) Programme for Malaria among Migrants from Malaria Endemic Countries: The Greek Experience in a Receptive and Vulnerable Area

Tseroni

Georgitsou

Baka

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…Another study utilised serology to determine geographical ‘pockets’ of seropositivity but did not report seroprevalence estimates for these pockets [ 47 ]. Seroprevalence ranged from 0% [ 48 , 49 , 50 ] to 93.4% [ 51 ] across 31 countries. For studies reporting results utilising multiple antigens, both the minimum and maximum were considered for the overall seroprevalence range reported here.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this scoping review, 94 studies were identified in which authors described the seroprevalence of P. vivax and/or the advantages and disadvantages of their chosen serological method. Seroprevalence was found to vary widely, from 0% [ 48 , 49 , 50 ] to over 90% [ 51 ]. When split by decade, there appears to be no significant difference in seropositivity rates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Table S2 : List of Included studies. Table S3 : Characteristics of Included Studies [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 15 , 23 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , ...…”

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Using Serological Markers for the Surveillance of Plasmodium vivax Malaria: A Scoping Review

Kartal,

Mueller,

Longley

2023

Pathogens

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The utilisation of serological surveillance methods for malaria has the potential to identify individuals exposed to Plasmodium vivax, including asymptomatic carriers. However, the application of serosurveillance varies globally, including variations in methodology and transmission context. No systematic review exists describing the advantages and disadvantages of utilising serosurveillance in various settings. Collation and comparison of these results is a necessary first step to standardise and validate the use of serology for the surveillance of P. vivax in specific transmission contexts. A scoping review was performed of P. vivax serosurveillance applications globally. Ninety-four studies were found that met predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. These studies were examined to determine the advantages and disadvantages of serosurveillance experienced in each study. If studies reported seroprevalence results, this information was also captured. Measurement of antibodies serves as a proxy by which individuals exposed to P. vivax may be indirectly identified, including those with asymptomatic infections, which may be missed by other technologies. Other thematic advantages identified included the ease and simplicity of serological assays compared to both microscopy and molecular diagnostics. Seroprevalence rates varied widely from 0–93%. Methodologies must be validated across various transmission contexts to ensure the applicability and comparability of results. Other thematic disadvantages identified included challenges with species cross-reactivity and determining changes in transmission patterns in both the short- and long-term. Serosurveillance requires further refinement to be fully realised as an actionable tool. Some work has begun in this area, but more is required.

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“…In this context, careful anamnesis on epidemiological risk has to be seriously considered for each donor and recipient in both malaria endemic and non-endemic zones, considering that infection can still be acquired in non-endemic locations including European or American airports or autochthonous malarial foci [ 229 , 230 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solid Organ Transplant and Parasitic Diseases: A Review of the Clinical Cases in the Last Two Decades

2018

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of parasitic infections in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. We conducted a systematic review of literature records on post-transplant parasitic infections, published from 1996 to 2016 and available on PubMed database, focusing only on parasitic infections acquired after SOT. The methods and findings of the present review have been presented based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist. From data published in the literature, the real burden of parasitic infections among SOT recipients cannot really be estimated. Nevertheless, publications on the matter are on the increase, probably due to more than one reason: (i) the increasing number of patients transplanted and then treated with immunosuppressive agents; (ii) the “population shift” resulting from immigration and travels to endemic areas, and (iii) the increased attention directed to diagnosis/notification/publication of cases. Considering parasitic infections as emerging and potentially serious in their evolution, additional strategies for the prevention, careful screening and follow-up, with a high level of awareness, identification, and pre-emptive therapy are needed in transplant recipients.

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Assessment of Antibody Responses in Local and Immigrant Residents of Areas with Autochthonous Malaria Transmission in Greece

Cited by 4 publications

References 32 publications

The Importance of an Active Case Detection (ACD) Programme for Malaria among Migrants from Malaria Endemic Countries: The Greek Experience in a Receptive and Vulnerable Area

The Importance of an Active Case Detection (ACD) Programme for Malaria among Migrants from Malaria Endemic Countries: The Greek Experience in a Receptive and Vulnerable Area

Using Serological Markers for the Surveillance of Plasmodium vivax Malaria: A Scoping Review

Solid Organ Transplant and Parasitic Diseases: A Review of the Clinical Cases in the Last Two Decades

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