Back to Search
Start Over
High prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection in Gabonese adults
High prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection in Gabonese adults
- Source :
- The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene. 77(5)
- Publication Year :
- 2007
-
Abstract
- Plasmodium falciparum, the most common malarial parasite in sub-Saharan Africa, accounts for a high number of deaths in children less than five years of age. In malaria-endemic countries with stable transmission, semi-immunity is usually acquired after childhood. For adults, severe malaria is rare. Infected adults have either uncomplicated malaria or asymptomatic parasitemia. During a period of one year, we screened 497 afebrile males to investigate the prevalence of asymptomatic P. falciparum parasitemia in villages near Lambaréné, Gabon by use of three different methods. A total of 52% of the individuals had parasites detected by a subtelomeric variable open reading frame polymerase chain reaction (stevor-PCR), 27% of the rapid diagnostic test results were positive, and 12% of the thick blood smears with low parasitemias had P. falciparum. Most positive cases were only detected by the stevor-PCR. Asymptomatic P. falciparum parasitemia in adults living in a malaria-endemic country is frequent.
Details
- ISSN :
- 14761645
- Volume :
- 77
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
- Accession number :
- edsair.pmid..........72c2dec33a6c4928cf67488806aab83a