Using a mobile nanopore sequencing lab for end-to-end genomic surveillance of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em>: a feasibility study (Publications)
Genomic epidemiology holds promise for malaria control and elimination efforts, for example by informing on Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity and prevalence of mutations conferring anti-malarial [...] drug resistance. Limited sequencing infrastructure in many malaria-endemic areas prevents the rapid generation of genomic data. To address these issues, we developed and validated assays for P. falciparum [...] resistance markers. We developed a bioinformatics workflow that allows genotyping...
The use of the polymerase chain reaction for more sensitive detection of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> (Publications)
positive for P. vivax and P. malariae an underlying P. falciparum infection remained undetected by microscopy. The introduction of PCR has opened up new possibilities in malaria diagnosis and research. [...] The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum in children and adults living in a malaria-endemic area in Papua New Guinea was determined by microscopy and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sensitivity
Rapid diagnostic tests for non-malarial febrile illness in the tropics (Publications)
of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria has highlighted the decreasing proportion of malaria-attributable illness in endemic areas. Unfortunately, once malaria is excluded, there are few accessible [...] pressing need for sensitive pathogen-detection-based RDTs, as have been successfully developed for malaria and dengue. Ultimately, integration of RDTs into a validated syndromic approach to tropical fevers
Melissa Penny speaks about the beauty of disease modelling (Blog)
https://www.swisstph.ch/en/impact-stories/the-beauty-of-disease-modelling/blog-id/25
disease modelling for over 15 years. She joins us today to discuss the first malaria vaccine, disease modelling and the future of malaria eradication.
Immunoglobulin G subclass-specific responses against <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> merozoite antigens are associated with control of parasitemia and... (Publications)
merozoite antigens play a role in protection from malaria, although the precise targets and mechanisms mediating immunity remain unclear. Different malaria antigens induce distinct immunoglobulin G (IgG) [...] (IgG) subclass responses, but the importance of different responses in protective immunity from malaria is not known and the factors determining subclass responses in vivo are poorly understood. We examined [...] AMA-1-specific IgG3 and MSP1-19-specific IgG1 were strongly predictive of a...
Differential expression of var gene groups is associated with morbidity caused by <em>Plasmodium falciparum </em>infection in Tanzanian children (Publications)
uncomplicated, and asymptomatic malaria. Transcripts of var group A and B genes were more abundant in patients with severe malaria than in patients with uncomplicated malaria. In general, the transcript [...] abundances of var group A and B genes were higher for children with clinical malaria than for children with asymptomatic infections. The var group C and var1-like transcript abundances were similar between
A multiplex qPCR approach for detection of <em>pfhrp2 </em>and <em>pfhrp3</em> gene deletions in multiple strain infections of <em>Plasmodium... (Publications)
The rapid and accurate diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection is an essential factor in malaria control. Currently, malaria diagnosis in the field depends heavily on using rapid diagnostic [...] blood. P. falciparum strains lacking PfHRP2, due to pfhrp2 gene deletions, are an emerging threat to malaria control programs. The novel assay described here, named qHRP2/3-del, is well suited for high-throughput
<em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> genetic diversity in western Kenya highlands (Publications)
microsatellite loci and two antigen loci. Malaria in highland areas is unstable and epidemic whereas malaria in lowland areas is endemic. Transmission intensity and malaria prevalence are substantially lower
<em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> infections are associated with agglutinating antibodies to parasite-infected erythrocyte surface antigens among healthy... (Publications)
ed erythrocytes are thought to play a role in the development of naturally acquired immunity to malaria. It has been suggested that children gradually acquire immunity through the piecemeal acquisition [...] over several years of exposure. However, in a cross-sectional survey of Kenyan children before the malaria-transmission season, the proportion of children with antibodies recognizing randomly sampled VSAs [...] data from a prospective study of VSA antibodies in a group of children who...
Intermittent preventive antimalarial treatment for Tanzanian infants: follow-up to age 2 years of a randomised, placebo-controlled trial (Publications)
Stopping antimalarial chemoprophylaxis can be followed by increased risk of malaria, suggesting that it interferes with the development of antimalarial immunity. We report analysis of extended follow-up [...] double-blind trial of intermittent preventive antimalarial treatment in infants. The rate of clinical malaria (events per person-year at risk, starting 1 month after final dose of intermittent treatment) was [...] 36%, 95% CI 11-53). Intermittent treatment produced a sustained reduction in...