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Copyright of Parasite (1252607X) is the property of EDP Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease, though it is highly prevalent in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. While Schistosoma haematobium-bovis hybrids have been reported in West Africa, no data about Schistosoma hybrids in humans are available from Côte d'Ivoire. This study aimed to identify and quantify S. haematobium-bovis hybrids among schoolchildren in four localities of Côte d'Ivoire. Urine samples were collected and examined by filtration to detect Schistosoma eggs. Eggs were hatched and 503 miracidia were individually collected and stored on Whatman® FTA cards for molecular analysis. Individual miracidia were molecularly characterized by analysis of mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS 2) DNA regions. A mitochondrial cox1-based diagnostic polymerase chain reaction was performed on 459 miracidia, with 239 (52.1%) exhibiting the typical band for S. haematobium and 220 (47.9%) the S. bovis band. The cox1 and ITS 2 amplicons were Sanger sequenced from 40 randomly selected miracidia to confirm species and hybrids status. Among the 33 cox1 sequences analysed, we identified 15 S. haematobium sequences (45.5%) belonging to seven haplotypes and 18 S. bovis sequences (54.5%) belonging to 12 haplotypes. Of 40 ITS 2 sequences analysed, 31 (77.5%) were assigned to pure S. haematobium , four (10.0%) to pure S. bovis and five (12.5%) to S. haematobium-bovis hybrids. Our findings suggest that S. haematobium-bovis hybrids are common in Côte d'Ivoire. Hence, intense prospection of domestic and wild animals is warranted to determine whether zoonotic transmission occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular monitoring of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for the management of uncomplicated malaria in healthcare facilities is a key factor in improving diagnostic quality and ensuring better case management. This study aimed to assess the performance of five RDTs (Standard Q Malaria P.f Ag and Standard Q Malaria P.f/Pan (SD Biosensor, Korea), One Step Malaria HRP2/pLDH (P.f/Pan) (Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech Co., Ltd., China), Malaria Pf/Pan (B&O Pharm, France), and Malaria test P.f/pan (Das Labor, Germany)) in two healthcare facilities in Abidjan. This cross-sectional study was conducted between September and October 2022. Overall, 250 patients suffering from uncomplicated malaria were included with a predominance of female patients (56.6%). The mean age was 22.3 years (SD = 20.6; range, 0.17-73). Of the patients tested, forty-six (46) tested positive for thick smears, reflecting a prevalence of 18.5%. Plasmodium falciparum was the most commonly detected species (93.5%). The geometric mean parasitemia was 6,111.80 parasites/μl (SD = 80,026.93) (range: 116-412461). The sensitivity ranged from 95.24% to 95.65%, whereas the specificity ranged from 93.07 to 94.09% for all five tests evaluated. The false positive rate of the tests was less than 10%. No invalid test results were reported. Two-thirds of P. malariae cases detected by microscopy showed also positive results with all the RDTs. All five RDTs showed 100% sensitivity at low parasitemia levels (< 1,000 parasites/μl blood) including three cases of parasites < 200 parasites/μl blood. This study demonstrated the importance of monitoring the performance of RDTs in clinical samples.

The purpose of this study was to update efficacy data of Artesunate-Amodiaquine (AS+AQ) and Artemether-Lumefantrine (AL) used as first-line malaria treatment in Côte d'Ivoire since 2005. This was an open-label, randomized trial conducted in patients older than 6 months with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria at six sentinel sites. The WHO 2009 protocol on surveillance of anti-malaria drug efficacy was used with primary outcomes as ACPR corrected by PCR at day 42. Secondary endpoints were parasite and fever clearance times and safety. From January to July 2016, 712 patients were included in the trial. 353 and 359 patients were randomly assigned respectively to the AS+AQ and AL arm. Day 42 PCR-adjusted ACPR in the per-protocol analysis was 99.4% and 98.8% in AS+AQ and AL arm respectively. Delayed parasite clearance was observed in six patients at Abidjan and Yamousssoukro sites. Both ACTs were well tolerated. Both ACTs remain efficacious for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria treatment in Côte d'Ivoire. But regarding delayed parasite clearance observed in this study, a close monitoring and supervision for ACT resistance are essential for future malaria treatment and control strategies in Côte d'Ivoire.