Submicroscopic malaria infections in pregnant women from six departments in Haiti. Issue 8 (14th July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Elbadry, Maha A.; Tagliamonte, Massimiliano S.; Raccurt, Christian P.; Lemoine, Jean F.; Existe, Alexandre; Boncy, Jacques; Weppelmann, Thomas A.; Dame, John B.; Okech, Bernard A.
• Is Part Of: Tropical medicine & international health. Volume 22:Issue 8(2017)
• Page Start: 1030
• Page End: 1036
• Publication Date: 2017-07-14
• Subjects: malaria -- pregnancy -- submicroscopic -- rapid diagnostic test -- quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction -- cross‐sectional study -- Haiti; malaria -- paludisme -- grossesse -- submicroscopique -- TDR -- qRT‐PCR -- étude transversale -- Haïti; malaria -- embarazo -- submicroscópico -- RDT -- qRT‐PCR -- estudio croseccional -- Haití; Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 616.988
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12909
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-2276

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of malaria in pregnancy in Haiti. Methods: Cross‐sectional study among pregnant women in six departments of Haiti. After obtaining informed consent, whole blood samples and demographic surveys were collected to investigate malaria prevalence, anaemia and socio‐behavioural risk factors for infection, respectively. A total of 311 pregnant women were screened for Plasmodium falciparum infection using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), microscopy and a novel, quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method (qRT‐PCR). Results: Overall, 1.2% (4/311) of pregnant women were tested positive for malaria infection by both microscopy and RDT. However, using the qRT‐PCR, 16.4% (51/311) of pregnant women were positive. The prevalence of malaria infection varied with geographical locations ranging between 0% and 46.4%. Additionally, 53% of pregnant women had some form of anaemia; however, no significant association was found between anaemia and submicroscopic malaria infection. The socio‐behavioural risk factors identified to be protective of malaria infection were marital status ( P < 0.05) and travel within one month prior to screening ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study is the first to document the high prevalence of submicroscopic malaria infections among pregnant women in Haiti and identify social and behavioural risk factors for disease transmission.