Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte carriage, sex ratios and asexual parasite rates in Nigerian children before and after a treatment protocol policy change instituting the use of artemisinin-based combination therapies
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
; 106(6): 685-690, Sept. 2011. ilus, graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-602051
Responsible library:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
The effects of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) on transmission of Plasmodium falciparum were evaluated after a policy change instituting the use of ACTs in an endemic area. P. falciparum gametocyte carriage, sex ratios and inbreeding rates were examined in 2,585 children at presentation with acute falciparum malaria during a 10-year period from 2001-2010. Asexual parasite rates were also evaluated from 2003-2010 in 10,615 children before and after the policy change. Gametocyte carriage declined significantly from 12.4 percent in 2001 to 3.6 percent in 2010 (@@χ2 for trend = 44.3, p < 0.0001), but sex ratios and inbreeding rates remained unchanged. Additionally, overall parasite rates remained unchanged before and after the policy change (47.2 percent vs. 45.4 percent), but these rates declined significantly from 2003-2010 (@@χ2 for trend 35.4, p < 0.0001). Chloroquine (CQ) and artemether-lumefantrine (AL) were used as prototype drugs before and after the policy change, respectively. AL significantly shortened the duration of male gametocyte carriage in individual patients after treatment began compared with CQ (log rank statistic = 7.92, p = 0.005). ACTs reduced the rate of gametocyte carriage in children with acute falciparum infections at presentation and shortened the duration of male gametocyte carriage after treatment. However, parasite population sex ratios, inbreeding rates and overall parasite rate were unaffected.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Health context:
SDG3 - Health and Well-Being
/
Neglected Diseases
Health problem:
Target 3.3: End transmission of communicable diseases
/
Malaria
/
Neglected Diseases
/
Zoonoses
Database:
LILACS
Main subject:
Plasmodium falciparum
/
Chloroquine
/
Malaria, Falciparum
/
Parasitemia
/
Artemisinins
/
Antimalarials
Type of study:
Practice guideline
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
2011
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Nigeria
Institution/Affiliation country:
University of Ibadan/NG