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Complexity and genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum infections in young children living in urban areas of Central and West Africa

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Abstract

A site-based characterization of Plasmodium falciparum infections in children living in two malaria hyperendemic urban areas from West and Central Africa was undertaken. A total of 58 and 46 children with either asymptomatic infections or uncomplicated (symptomatic) malaria were recruited in Gabon and Benin, respectively. Parasite density, hematological factors, the genetic diversity of P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 2 (msp2) and the complexity of infections (mean number of P. falciparum genotypes per infected child) were used for this characterization. Gabonese children with uncomplicated malaria presented a higher mean axillary temperature (39.2 vs 38.6, P=0.004) and a higher geometric mean parasite density (30,538 vs 18,921, P<0.001) associated with a significantly lower hemoglobin level (P<0.01). A higher degree of msp2 polymorphism and the complexity of P. falciparum infections were also observed in children from Gabon (P<0.05). With a similar level of malaria transmission in both urban sites, these results suggest an impact of malaria control interventions on the dynamics of concurrent P. falciparum infections.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the children and their parents or guardians from Gabon and Benin for kindly participating in this study. We are grateful for the generous collaboration of Franceville and St-Luc (Cotonou) hospitals and both laboratory staffs. Thanks to Mr. F. Lekoulou for slide reading and blood collection. We are grateful to Drs. Guizard, Placca, Daoud, Sica, Anasthasie, Ekala (Gabon); Prof. A. Sanni, Drs. R. Saïzonou, Capo-Chichi and Mrs Soude, (Benin) for their assistance in carrying out this work. Dr. S. Issifou was a recipient of a MIM/WHO/TDR grants (ID 980072). This investigation received financial support from the UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Program for the Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) through a MIM/TDR Research Capacity Strengthening Grant. The Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville is supported by the Government of Gabon, Elf Gabon and Ministère de la Coopération Française.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre Régional pour le Développement et la Santé (CREDESA/SSP), Cotonou, Benin

    Saadou Issifou

  2. Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Université Nationale du Benin, Cotonou, Benin

    Saadou Issifou, Marius Adjagba-Olakpo & Nicodème Chabi-Worou

  3. Medical Research Unit, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Lambaréné, Gabon

    Saadou Issifou & Francine Ntoumi

  4. Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon

    Saadou Issifou & Francine Ntoumi

  5. Institut de Médecine Tropicale du Service de Santé des Armées, Le Pharo, Marseille, France

    Christophe Rogier

  6. Sektion Humanparasitologie, Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074, Tübingen, Germany

    Francine Ntoumi

Authors
  1. Saadou Issifou
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  2. Christophe Rogier
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  3. Marius Adjagba-Olakpo
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  4. Nicodème Chabi-Worou
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  5. Francine Ntoumi
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Correspondence to Francine Ntoumi.

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Issifou, S., Rogier, C., Adjagba-Olakpo, M. et al. Complexity and genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum infections in young children living in urban areas of Central and West Africa. Parasitol Res 90, 423–428 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0854-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0854-1

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