Malaria epidemiology in low-endemicity areas of the northern coast of Ecuador: high prevalence of asymptomatic infections
| Autor: | Sócrates Herrera, Yi Heng Yan, Fabián E. Sáenz, Andres F. Vallejo, Angélica Castellanos, Alvaro Alvarez, Juan B. Gutierrez, Andrea Arévalo-Cortés, Andrea C. Poveda-Loayza, Luis Enrique Castro, Myriam Arévalo-Herrera, Yoldy Benavides, Gabriela Valenzuela |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
0301 basic medicine medicine.medical_specialty Veterinary medicine lcsh:Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine Adolescent Elimination lcsh:RC955-962 Plasmodium falciparum 030231 tropical medicine Plasmodium vivax lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases Asymptomatic malaria Young Adult 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Environmental health Epidemiology parasitic diseases Malaria Vivax Prevalence medicine Humans lcsh:RC109-216 Malaria Falciparum Child Asymptomatic Infections Aged biology business.industry Research Outbreak Middle Aged biology.organism_classification medicine.disease 3. Good health 030104 developmental biology Infectious Diseases Parasitology Child Preschool Tropical medicine Knowledge attitude and practices Ecuador business Asymptomatic carrier Malaria |
| Zdroj: | Malaria Journal, Vol 16, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2017) Malaria Journal |
| ISSN: | 1475-2875 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12936-017-1947-0 |
| Popis: | Background The recent scale-up in malaria control measures in Latin America has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of reported cases in several countries including Ecuador, where it presented a low malaria incidence in recent years (558 reported cases in 2015) with occasional outbreaks of both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in the coastal and Amazonian regions. This success in malaria control in recent years has led Ecuador to transition its malaria policy from control to elimination. Results This study evaluated the general knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) about malaria, as well as its prevalence in four communities of an endemic area in northwest Ecuador. A total of 258 interviews to assess KAP in the community indicated that most people in the study area have a basic knowledge about the disease but did not use to contribute to its control. Six hundred and forty-eight blood samples were collected and analysed by thick blood smear and real-time PCR. In addition, the distribution of the infections was mapped in the study communities. Although, no parasites were found by microscopy, by PCR the total malaria prevalence was 7.5% (6.9% P. vivax and 0.6% P. falciparum), much higher than expected and comparable to that reported in endemic areas of neighbouring countries with higher malaria transmission. Serology using ELISA and immunofluorescence indicated 27% respondents for P. vivax and 22% respondents for P. falciparum. Conclusions Results suggest that despite a great malaria reduction in Ecuador, transition from control to elimination would demand further improvement in malaria diagnostics, including active case detection to identify and treat parasite asymptomatic carriers, as well as community participation in its elimination. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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