Mélanie Gaillet, Marc-Alexandre Tareau, Loïc Epelboin, Claire Cropet, Paul Brousse, Céline Michaud, F. Djossou, Maylis Douine, Emilie Mosnier, P. Travers, Lise Musset, B. Philogene, Damien Davy, Yassamine Lazrek, Guillaume Odonne, Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes amazoniens (LEEISA), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Guyane (UG)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Parasitologie [Cayenne, Guyane française], Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Centre d'investigation clinique Antilles-Guyane (CIC - Antilles Guyane), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-CHU de la Martinique [Fort de France]-CHU Pointe-à-Pitre/Abymes [Guadeloupe] -Centre Hospitalier Andrée Rosemon [Cayenne, Guyane Française], DAAC - NGO [Saint Georges de l’Oyapock], Centre Hospitalier Andrée Rosemon [Cayenne, Guyane Française], Biome Tropical et Immuno-Pathophysiologie = Tropical Biome and ImmunoPhysiopathology [Lille] (TBIP), Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille - INSERM U 1019 - UMR 9017 - UMR 8204 (CIIL), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire [Lille] (CHRU Lille)-Université de Lille-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut Pasteur de Lille, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire [Lille] (CHRU Lille)-Université de Lille-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut Pasteur de Lille, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Université de Guyane (UG), Sciences Economiques et Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l'Information Médicale (SESSTIM - U1252 INSERM - Aix Marseille Univ - UMR 259 IRD), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), This study was funded by: European Funds for Regional Development (Synergie: n°GY0012082), the Regional Agency for Health of French Guiana, Cayenne Hospital, the French Ministry for Research and Santé Publique France through the Institut Pasteur de la Guyane. It was also supported by 'Investissement d’Avenir' grants managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (Labex DRIIHM/IRDHEI: ANR-11-LABX-0010 and Labex CEBA: ANR-10-LABX-25-01)., ANR-11-LABX-0010,DRIIHM / IRDHEI,Dispositif de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les Interactions Hommes-Milieux(2011), ANR-10-LABX-0025,CEBA,CEnter of the study of Biodiversity in Amazonia(2010), Centre National de Référence du Paludisme [Cayenne, Guyane française] (CNR), Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles-Guyane (CIC - Antilles Guyane), CHU de Fort de France-Centre Hospitalier Andrée Rosemon [Cayenne, Guyane Française]-CHU Pointe-à-Pitre/Abymes [Guadeloupe] -Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG), Service des maladies infectieuses, Hopital Andree Rosemond, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-CHU Pointe-à-Pitre/Abymes [Guadeloupe] -CHU de Fort de France-Centre Hospitalier Andrée Rosemon [Cayenne, Guyane Française], Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Centre National de Référence du Paludisme [Cayenne, Guyane française] (CNR - laboratoire associé), Centre Collaborateur OMS pour la surveillance de la résistance aux antipaludiques [Cayenne, Guyane française] (CCOMS), Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Organisation Mondiale de la Santé / World Health Organization Office (OMS / WHO), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-CHU Pointe-à-Pitre/Abymes [Guadeloupe] -CHU de la Martinique [Fort de France]-Centre Hospitalier Andrée Rosemon [Cayenne, Guyane Française], Institut Pasteur de Lille, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université de Lille-Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire [Lille] (CHRU Lille)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Pasteur de Lille, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université de Lille-Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire [Lille] (CHRU Lille)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Guyane (UG), Musset, Lise, Dispositif de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les Interactions Hommes-Milieux - - DRIIHM / IRDHEI2011 - ANR-11-LABX-0010 - LABX - VALID, Laboratoires d'excellence - CEnter of the study of Biodiversity in Amazonia - - CEBA2010 - ANR-10-LABX-0025 - LABX - VALID, Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes amazoniens [LEEISA], Centre National de Référence du Paludisme [Cayenne, Guyane française] [CNR - laboratoire associé], Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles-Guyane [CIC - Antilles Guyane], Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille - INSERM U 1019 - UMR 9017 - UMR 8204 [CIIL], Sciences Economiques et Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l'Information Médicale [SESSTIM - U1252 INSERM - Aix Marseille Univ - UMR 259 IRD], Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Guyane (UG)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), and Observatoire Hommes Milieux (OHM) Oyapock-Labex DRIIHM ANR-11-LABX-0010
International audience; Ethnopharmacological relevance: In French Guiana, traditional phytotherapies are an important part of self-healthcare, however, a precise understanding of the interactions between local phytotherapies and biomedicine is lacking. Malaria is still endemic in the transition area between French Guiana and Brazil, and practices of self-treatment, although difficult to detect, have possible consequences on the outcome of public health policies.Aim of the study: The objectives of this research were 1) to document occurences of co-medication (interactions between biomedicine and local phytotherapies) against malaria around Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock (SGO), 2) to quantify and to qualify plant uses against malaria, 3) and to discuss potential effects of such co-medications, in order to improve synergy between community efforts and public health programs in SGO particularly, and in Amazonia more broadly.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 in SGO. Inhabitants of any age and nationality were interviewed using a questionnaire (122 questions) about their knowledge and habits regarding malaria, and their use of plants to prevent and treat it. They were invited to show their potential responses on a poster illustrating the most common antimalarial plants used in the area. In order to correlate plant uses and malaria epidemiology, all participants subsequently received a medical examination, and malaria detection was performed by Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).Results: A total of 1566 inhabitants were included in the study. Forty-six percent of them declared that they had been infected by malaria at least once, and this rate increased with age. Every person who reported that they had had malaria also indicated that they had taken antimalarial drugs (at least for the last episode), and self-medication against malaria with pharmaceuticals was reported in 142 cases. A total of 550 plant users was recorded (35.1% of the interviewed population). Among them 95.5% associated pharmaceuticals to plants. All plants reported to treat malaria were shared by every cultural group around SGO, but three plants were primarily used by the Palikur: Cymbopogon citratus, Citrus aurantifolia and Siparuna guianensis. Two plants stand out among those used by Creoles: Eryngium foetidum and Quassia amara, although the latter is used by all groups and is by far the most cited plant by every cultural group. Cultivated species accounts for 91.3% of the use reports, while wild taxa account for only 18.4%.Conclusions: This study showed that residents of SGO in French Guiana are relying on both traditional phytotherapies and pharmaceutical drugs to treat malaria. This medical pluralism is to be understood as a form of pragmatism: people are collecting or cultivating plants for medicinal purposes, which is probably more congruent with their respective cultures and highlights the wish for a certain independence of the care process. A better consideration of these practices is thus necessary to improve public health response to malaria.