Lo Eugenia, Yewhalaw Delenasaw, Zhong Daibin, Zemene Endalew, Degefa Teshome, Tushune Kora, Ha Margaret, Lee Ming-Chieh, James Anthony A, Yan Guiyun
Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Malar J. 2015 Feb 19;14:84. doi: 10.1186/s12936-015-0596-4.
Malaria is the most prevalent communicable disease in Ethiopia, with 75% of the country's landmass classified as endemic for malaria. Accurate information on the distribution and clinical prevalence of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in endemic areas, as well as in Duffy-negative populations, is essential to develop integrated control strategies.
A total of 390 and 416 community and clinical samples, respectively, representing different localities and age groups across Ethiopia were examined. Malaria prevalence was estimated using nested PCR of the 18S rRNA region. Parasite gene copy number was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and compared between symptomatic and asymptomatic samples, as well as between children/adolescents and adults from the local community. An approximately 500-bp segment of the human DARC gene was amplified and sequenced to identify Duffy genotype at the -33rd nucleotide position for all the clinical and community samples.
Plasmodium vivax prevalence was higher in the south while P. falciparum was higher in the north. The prevalence of P. vivax and P. falciparum malaria is the highest in children compared to adolescents and adults. Four P. vivax infections were detected among the Duffy-negative samples. Samples from asymptomatic individuals show a significantly lower parasite gene copy number than those from symptomatic infections for P. vivax and P. falciparum.
Geographical and age differences influence the distribution of P. vivax and P. falciparum malaria in Ethiopia. These findings offer evidence-based guidelines in targeting malaria control efforts in the country.
疟疾是埃塞俄比亚最普遍的传染病，该国75%的陆地面积被列为疟疾流行地区。准确了解间日疟原虫和恶性疟原虫疟疾在流行地区以及达菲阴性人群中的分布和临床流行情况，对于制定综合防控策略至关重要。
分别对代表埃塞俄比亚不同地区和年龄组的390份社区样本和416份临床样本进行了检测。使用18S rRNA区域的巢式PCR估计疟疾流行率。通过定量实时PCR测量寄生虫基因拷贝数，并在有症状和无症状样本之间以及当地社区的儿童/青少年和成年人之间进行比较。对所有临床和社区样本，扩增并测序人类DARC基因约500 bp的片段，以确定第-33个核苷酸位置的达菲基因型。
间日疟原虫流行率在南部较高，而恶性疟原虫在北部较高。与青少年和成年人相比，儿童中间日疟原虫和恶性疟原虫疟疾的流行率最高。在达菲阴性样本中检测到4例间日疟原虫感染。无症状个体的样本显示，间日疟原虫和恶性疟原虫的寄生虫基因拷贝数明显低于有症状感染的样本。
地理和年龄差异影响埃塞俄比亚间日疟原虫和恶性疟原虫疟疾的分布。这些发现为该国疟疾防控工作提供了循证指南。
