Spatio-temporal modelling of routine health facility data for malaria risk micro-stratification in mainland Tanzania (Publications)
probability of malaria TPR exceeding programmatic threshold was estimated. Results showed a marked spatial heterogeneity in malaria TPR across wards. 17.7 million people resided in areas where malaria TPR was [...] As malaria transmission declines, the need to monitor the heterogeneity of malaria risk at finer scales becomes critical to guide community-based targeted interventions. Although routine health facility [...] million people lived in areas where malaria TPR was very low ( < 5%; 90%...
High cure rates and tolerability of artesunate-amodiaquine and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in... (Publications)
BACKGROUND: The Tanzanian National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and its partners have been implementing regular therapeutic efficacy studies (TES) to monitor the performance of different drugs used [...] mefantrine, which is the first-line anti-malarial for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Data on the performance of other artemisinin-based combinations is urgently needed to support timely [...] parasitological responses of ASAQ and DP for directly observed treatment of...
Insufficient sensitivity of laser desorption-time of flight mass spectrometry-based detection of hemozoin for malaria screening (Publications)
detection of hemozoin was assessed for its performance characteristics as a rapid screening test for malaria. In spite of good specificity of > 95%, poor sensitivity of 80.2% for microscopically positive samples
Lysyl-tRNA synthetase as a drug target in malaria and cryptosporidiosis (Publications)
Malaria and cryptosporidiosis, caused by apicomplexan parasites, remain major drivers of global child mortality. New drugs for the treatment of malaria and cryptosporidiosis, in particular, are of high [...] PfKRS1 and C. parvum KRS (CpKRS). In vivo proof of concept was established in an SCID mouse model of malaria, after oral administration (ED90 = 1.5 mg/kg, once a day for 4 d). Furthermore, we successfully [...] HsKRS. Our work validates apicomplexan KRSs as promising targets for the...
Safety profile of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in infants and children: additional data from a phase III randomized controlled trial in sub-Saharan... (Publications)
RTS,S/AS01 (R3R) or non-malaria control vaccine (C3C), or 3 RTS,S/AS01 doses plus control (R3C). Aggregate safety data were reviewed by a multi-functional team. Severe malaria with Blantyre Coma Score [...] controlled trial (NCT00866619) in sub-Saharan Africa showed RTS,S/AS01 vaccine efficacy against malaria. We now present in-depth safety results from this study. 8922 children (enrolled at 5-17 months)
Highly heterogeneous residual malaria risk in western Thailand (Publications)
substantial and poses a challenge for the national malaria elimination program. To determine epidemiological parameters as well as risk factors for malaria infection in western Thailand, we carried out a [...] Over the past decades, the malaria burden in Thailand has substantially declined. Most infections now originate from the national border regions. In these areas, the prevalence of asymptomatic infections [...] provinces on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Blood samples from 999 local...
Two cases of long‑lasting, sub‑microscopic <em>Plasmodium malariae</em> infections in adults from coastal Tanzania (Publications)
BACKGROUND: Malaria is endemic in Tanzania with majority of clinical cases caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Additionally, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale spp. are also present and clinical ma [...] caused by P. malariae infections are often characterized by a relatively mild illness with a low number of parasites, which can persist for long periods. In this report, two cases of P. malariae infections [...] study clinical manifestations of P. malariae over 4 months. CASE PRESENTATION:...