Large Variations in Malaria Parasite Carriage by Afebrile School Children Living in Nearby Communities in the Central Region of Ghana.

BACKGROUND

Indicators of successful malaria control interventions include a reduction in the prevalence and densities of malaria parasites contained in both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections as well as a reduction in malaria transmission. Individuals harboring malaria parasites in asymptomatic infections serve as reservoirs for malaria transmission. This study determined the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria parasite carriage in afebrile children attending six different schools in two districts, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) and the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem (KEEA) of the Central Region of Ghana.

METHODS

This cross sectional study recruited afebrile children aged between 3 and 15 years old from six randomly selected schools in the Central Region of Ghana. Finger-pricked blood was collected and used to prepare thick and thin blood smears as well as spot a strip of filter paper (Whatman #3). Nested PCR was used to identify , , , and in DNA extracted from the filter paper spots. The multiplicity of infection was determined using merozoite surface protein 2 genotyping.

RESULTS

Out of the 528 children sampled, PCR identified 27.1% to harbor parasites in asymptomatic infections, whilst microscopy identified malaria parasites in 10.6% of the children. The overall PCR estimated prevalence of and was 26.6% and 1.3%, respectively, with no or identified by PCR or microscopy. The RDT positivity rate ranged from 55.8% in Simiw to 4.5% in Kuful. Children from the Simiw Basic School accounted for 87.5% of all the asymptomatic infections. The multiplicity of infection was predominantly monoclonal and biclonal.

CONCLUSIONS

The low prevalence of asymptomatic malaria parasite carriage by the children living in the Cape Coast Metropolis suggests that the malaria control interventions in place in CCMA are highly effective and that additional malaria control interventions are required for the KEEA district to reduce the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria parasite carriers. No molecular evidence of and was identified in the afebrile children sampled from the selected schools.