Additional burden of asymptomatic and sub-patent malaria infections during low transmission season in forested tribal villages in Chhattisgarh, India
Open Access
- 8 August 2017
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Malaria Journal
- Vol. 16 (1), 1-9
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-017-1968-8
Abstract
The burden of sub-patent malaria is difficult to recognize in low endemic areas due to limitation of diagnostic tools, and techniques. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a molecular based technique, is one of the key methods for detection of low parasite density infections. The study objective was to assess the additional burden of asymptomatic and sub-patent malaria infection among tribal populations inhabiting three endemic villages in Keshkal sub-district, Chhattisgarh, India. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in March–June 2016, during the low transmission season, to measure and compare prevalence of malaria infection using three diagnostics: rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and nested-PCR. Out of 437 individuals enrolled in the study, 103 (23.6%) were malaria positive by PCR and/or microscopy of whom 89.3% were Plasmodium falciparum cases, 77.7% were afebrile and 35.9% had sub-patent infections. A substantial number of asymptomatic and sub-patent malaria infections were identified in the survey. Hence, strategies for identifying and reducing the hidden burden of asymptomatic and sub-patent infections should focus on forest rural tribal areas using more sensitive molecular diagnostic methods to curtail malaria transmission.Keywords
Funding Information
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP 1062754)
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