Assessing Asymptomatic Malaria Carriage of Plasmodium falciparum and Non-falciparum Species in Children Resident in Nkolbisson, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Malaria is still a threat to public health as it remains the first endemic disease in the world. It is a pervasive parasitic disease in tropical and subtropical regions where asymptomatic malaria infection among humans serves as a significant reservoir for transmission. A rapid and correct diagnosis is considered to be an important strategy in the control of the disease especially in children, who are the most vulnerable group. This study assessed the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria in children at the Nkolbisson health area in Yaoundé, Cameroon. A cross-sectional study design and a convenience sampling plan were used. A total of 127 participants were recruited after informed and signed consent from parents and/or guardians. Blood samples were collected by finger-pricking and venipuncture from children aged 6 months to 10 years and then screened for asymptomatic parasitemia by a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), light microscopy (LM) staining with Giemsa and 18S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for speciation. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. The study identified 85 children who were positive from the PCR, 95 positive from the RDT and 71 from the LM, revealing a malaria prevalence of 66.9%, 74.8% and 55.9%, respectively. The prevalence was not observed to be dependent on the sex and age group of the participants. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species followed by Plasmodium malariae and then Plasmodium ovale. The RDT and LM had the same sensitivity (90.6%) with a slight difference in their specificity (RDT: 57.1%; LM: 54.8%). The RDT also demonstrated higher positive and negative predictive values compared with those of the LM.

Xeno-monitoring of molecular drivers of artemisinin and partner drug resistance in P. falciparum populations in malaria vectors across Cameroon

“…coluzzii in successfully transmitting the deadliest, most prevalent, most drug-resistant Plasmodium species, P. falciparum across diverse bio-ecological zones within the country ( Antonio-Nkondjio, 2019 , Antonio-nkondjio, 2006 , The PMI VectorLink Project, A.A., 2020 ). P. falciparum is responsible for about 93% of cases and death with the remaining fraction attributed to non-falciparum species including P. malariae, P. ovale, and P. vivax (hereafter referred to as P. OVM) ( Tabue, 2019 , Fru-Cho, 2014 , Akindeh, 2021 ). In particular, P. malariae significantly predominates as co-infection with P. falciparum to widen the parasite transmission window and disease severity ( Roman, 2018 ).…”

Association between asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection, anaemia and mean corpuscular volume of school children in the Volta Region of Ghana

“…In this study, there was a high prevalence (56%) of asymptomatic P. falciparum , which is not an uncommon finding in malaria-endemic areas [25 , 26] . Most of these children (53%) with asymptomatic malaria had MCV values within the normal reference range (81.3–91.3 fL).…”

Knowledge about Asymptomatic Malaria and Acceptability of Using Artemisia afra Tea among Health Care Workers (HCWs) in Yaoundé, Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…In the same light, the WHO recommends that a single dose of 0.25 mg/kg primaquine in combination with ACT administered to patients with P. falciparum malaria is safe and effective in reducing transmission without requiring to test for G6PD deficiency [ 56 ]. Generally, several studies have been conducted on asymptomatic malaria in Cameroon [ 48 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 ] but there are no special programs to target the mass treatment of asymptomatic Plasmodium reservoirs through which awareness on the severity of asymptomatic malaria and need for treatment could be raised among health care providers and in the population. Studies reveal that asymptomatic reservoirs can be eliminated in mass treatment programs [ 64 , 65 ], and various mass treatment strategies such as mass drug administration (MDA) have been proposed and proven to rapidly reduce malaria burdens, particularly in regions with seasonal malaria transmission, such as those in Africa and in China [ 64 , 65 , 66 ].…”