A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Diagnoses and Diagnostics

Overview

Journal PLoS Med

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2011 Feb 12

PMID 21311583

Citations 168

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Many of malaria's signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other febrile diseases. Detection of the presence of Plasmodium parasites is essential, therefore, to guide case management. Improved diagnostic tools are required to enable targeted treatment of infected individuals. In addition, field-ready diagnostic tools for mass screening and surveillance that can detect asymptomatic infections of very low parasite densities are needed to monitor transmission reduction and ensure elimination. Antibody-based tests for infection and novel methods based on biomarkers need further development and validation, as do methods for the detection and treatment of Plasmodium vivax. Current rapid diagnostic tests targeting P. vivax are generally less effective than those targeting Plasmodium falciparum. Moreover, because current drugs for radical cure may cause serious side effects in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, more information is needed on the distribution of G6PD-deficiency variants as well as tests to identify at-risk individuals. Finally, in an environment of very low or absent malaria transmission, sustaining interest in elimination and maintaining resources will become increasingly important. Thus, research is required into the context in which malaria diagnostic tests are used, into diagnostics for other febrile diseases, and into the integration of these tests into health systems.

Citing Articles

Advances in Malaria Diagnostic Methods in Resource-Limited Settings: A Systematic Review.

Yalley A, Ocran J, Cobbinah J, Obodai E, Yankson I, Kafintu-Kwashie A Trop Med Infect Dis. 2024; 9(9).

PMID: 39330879 PMC: 11435979. DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed9090190.

Comparison of malaria diagnostic methods for detection of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections among pregnant women in northwest Ethiopia.

Tilahun A, Yimer M, Gelaye W, Tegegne B, Endalamaw D, Estifanos F BMC Infect Dis. 2024; 24(1):492.

PMID: 38745114 PMC: 11092159. DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09369-y.

Prevalence of submicroscopic infections in asymptomatic children in low transmission settings in Bagamoyo, Tanzania.

Sumari D, Mugasa J, Selemani M, Shekalaghe S, Mugittu K, Gwakisa P Malariaworld J. 2024; 7:6.

PMID: 38601353 PMC: 11003206. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10798301.

Evaluation of performance for malaria diagnosis in health facilities by five provincial reference laboratories of China.

Zhang X, Jiang J, Sui Y, Yan H, Xia J, Liu Y Front Public Health. 2023; 11:1243642.

PMID: 37841716 PMC: 10569120. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1243642.

Plasmodium vivax Malaria in Duffy-Positive Patients in Rwanda.

van Loon W, Oliveira R, Bergmann C, Habarugira F, Tacoli C, Jager J Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023; 109(3):621-623.

PMID: 37549894 PMC: 10484245. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0143.

References

Kachur S, Nicolas E, Benitez A, Bloland P, Saint Jean Y, Mount D . Prevalence of malaria parasitemia and accuracy of microscopic diagnosis in Haiti, October 1995. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 1998; 3(1):35-9. DOI: 10.1590/s1020-49891998000100006. View

Ouedraogo A, Bousema T, Schneider P, de Vlas S, Ilboudo-Sanogo E, Cuzin-Ouattara N . Substantial contribution of submicroscopical Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte carriage to the infectious reservoir in an area of seasonal transmission. PLoS One. 2009; 4(12):e8410. PMC: 2793432. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008410. View

Taylor S, Juliano J, Trottman P, Griffin J, Landis S, Kitsa P . High-throughput pooling and real-time PCR-based strategy for malaria detection. J Clin Microbiol. 2009; 48(2):512-9. PMC: 2815636. DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01800-09. View

Kain K, Harrington M, Tennyson S, Keystone J . Imported malaria: prospective analysis of problems in diagnosis and management. Clin Infect Dis. 1998; 27(1):142-9. DOI: 10.1086/514616. View

Font F, Alonso Gonzalez M, Nathan R, Kimario J, Lwilla F, Ascaso C . Diagnostic accuracy and case management of clinical malaria in the primary health services of a rural area in south-eastern Tanzania. Trop Med Int Health. 2001; 6(6):423-8. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2001.00727.x. View

Chiodini P, Bowers K, Jorgensen P, Barnwell J, Grady K, Luchavez J . The heat stability of Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase-based and histidine-rich protein 2-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2007; 101(4):331-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2006.09.007. View

Kim S, Ahn H, Kim T, Nam H . ELISA detection of vivax malaria with recombinant multiple stage-specific antigens and its application to survey of residents in endemic areas. Korean J Parasitol. 2003; 41(4):203-7. PMC: 2717512. DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2003.41.4.203. View

. A research agenda for malaria eradication: monitoring, evaluation, and surveillance. PLoS Med. 2011; 8(1):e1000400. PMC: 3026689. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000400. View

Black R, Cousens S, Johnson H, Lawn J, Rudan I, Bassani D . Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2008: a systematic analysis. Lancet. 2010; 375(9730):1969-87. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60549-1. View

10.

Shekalaghe S, Bousema J, Kunei K, Lushino P, Masokoto A, Wolters L . Submicroscopic Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte carriage is common in an area of low and seasonal transmission in Tanzania. Trop Med Int Health. 2007; 12(4):547-53. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2007.01821.x. View

11.

. A research agenda for malaria eradication: health systems and operational research. PLoS Med. 2011; 8(1):e1000397. PMC: 3026705. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000397. View

12.

Scott C, van Zyl D, Ho E, Meyersfeld D, Ruivo L, Mendelow B . Automated detection of malaria-associated intraleucocytic haemozoin by Cell-Dyn CD4000 depolarization analysis. Clin Lab Haematol. 2003; 25(2):77-86. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2257.2003.00496.x. View

13.

Cho D, Kim K, Park S, Kim Y, Lee K, Lim C . Evaluation of rapid immunocapture assays for diagnosis of Plasmodium vivax in Korea. Parasitol Res. 2001; 87(6):445-8. DOI: 10.1007/s004360000360. View

14.

Chandramohan D, Jaffar S, Greenwood B . Use of clinical algorithms for diagnosing malaria. Trop Med Int Health. 2002; 7(1):45-52. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2002.00827.x. View

15.

Collins W, Jeffery G . A retrospective examination of the patterns of recrudescence in patients infected with Plasmodium falciparum. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1999; 61(1 Suppl):44-8. DOI: 10.4269/tropmed.1999.61-044. View

16.

Adeoye G, Nga I . Comparison of Quantitative Buffy Coat technique (QBC) with Giemsa-stained Thick Film (GTF) for diagnosis of malaria. Parasitol Int. 2007; 56(4):308-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2007.06.007. View

17.

Duffy P, Fried M . Malaria: new diagnostics for an old problem. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005; 73(3):482-3. View

18.

Collins W, Jeffery G . A retrospective examination of mosquito infection on humans infected with Plasmodium falciparum. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2003; 68(3):366-71. View

19.

Prudhomme OMeara W, Mangeni J, Steketee R, Greenwood B . Changes in the burden of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Lancet Infect Dis. 2010; 10(8):545-55. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(10)70096-7. View

20.

Suhanic W, Crandall I, Pennefather P . An informatics model for guiding assembly of telemicrobiology workstations for malaria collaborative diagnostics using commodity products and open-source software. Malar J. 2009; 8:164. PMC: 2718909. DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-8-164. View