Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon
Abstract Background In areas where malaria is endemic, pregnancy is associated with increased susceptibility to malaria. It is generally agreed that this risk ends with delivery and decreases with the number of pregnancies. Our study aimed to demonstrate relationships between malarial parasitaemia a...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0ce40cdae0784fe2b76b72016d44e008 2023-05-15T15:10:45+02:00 Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon Kendjo Eric Ionete-Collard Denisa E Mabika-Manfoumbi Modeste Bouyou-Akotet Marielle K Matsiegui Pierre-Blaise Mavoungou Elie Kombila Maryvonne 2003-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-2-18 https://doaj.org/article/0ce40cdae0784fe2b76b72016d44e008 EN eng BMC http://www.malariajournal.com/content/2/1/18 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-2-18 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/0ce40cdae0784fe2b76b72016d44e008 Malaria Journal, Vol 2, Iss 1, p 18 (2003) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2003 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-2-18 2022-12-31T08:12:14Z Abstract Background In areas where malaria is endemic, pregnancy is associated with increased susceptibility to malaria. It is generally agreed that this risk ends with delivery and decreases with the number of pregnancies. Our study aimed to demonstrate relationships between malarial parasitaemia and age, gravidity and anaemia in pregnant women in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. Methods Peripheral blood was collected from 311 primigravidae and women in their second pregnancy. Thick blood smears were checked, as were the results of haemoglobin electrophoresis. We also looked for the presence of anaemia, fever, and checked whether the volunteers had had chemoprophylaxis. The study was performed in Gabon where malaria transmission is intense and perennial. Results A total of 177 women (57%) had microscopic parasitaemia; 139 (64%)of them were primigravidae, 38 (40%) in their second pregnancy and 180 (64%) were teenagers. The parasites densities were also higher in primigravidae and teenagers. The prevalence of anaemia was 71% and was associated with microscopic Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia: women with moderate or severe anaemia had higher parasite prevalences and densities. However, the sickle cell trait, fever and the use of chemoprophylaxis did not have a significant association with the presence of P. falciparum . Conclusions These results suggest that the prevalence of malaria and the prevalence of anaemia, whether associated with malaria or not, are higher in pregnant women in Gabon. Primigravidae and young pregnant women are the most susceptible to infection. It is, therefore, urgent to design an effective regimen of malaria prophylaxis for this high risk population. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Sickle ENVELOPE(-66.783,-66.783,-68.867,-68.867) Malaria Journal 2 1 18 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Kendjo Eric Ionete-Collard Denisa E Mabika-Manfoumbi Modeste Bouyou-Akotet Marielle K Matsiegui Pierre-Blaise Mavoungou Elie Kombila Maryvonne Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon |
topic_facet |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
description |
Abstract Background In areas where malaria is endemic, pregnancy is associated with increased susceptibility to malaria. It is generally agreed that this risk ends with delivery and decreases with the number of pregnancies. Our study aimed to demonstrate relationships between malarial parasitaemia and age, gravidity and anaemia in pregnant women in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. Methods Peripheral blood was collected from 311 primigravidae and women in their second pregnancy. Thick blood smears were checked, as were the results of haemoglobin electrophoresis. We also looked for the presence of anaemia, fever, and checked whether the volunteers had had chemoprophylaxis. The study was performed in Gabon where malaria transmission is intense and perennial. Results A total of 177 women (57%) had microscopic parasitaemia; 139 (64%)of them were primigravidae, 38 (40%) in their second pregnancy and 180 (64%) were teenagers. The parasites densities were also higher in primigravidae and teenagers. The prevalence of anaemia was 71% and was associated with microscopic Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia: women with moderate or severe anaemia had higher parasite prevalences and densities. However, the sickle cell trait, fever and the use of chemoprophylaxis did not have a significant association with the presence of P. falciparum . Conclusions These results suggest that the prevalence of malaria and the prevalence of anaemia, whether associated with malaria or not, are higher in pregnant women in Gabon. Primigravidae and young pregnant women are the most susceptible to infection. It is, therefore, urgent to design an effective regimen of malaria prophylaxis for this high risk population. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kendjo Eric Ionete-Collard Denisa E Mabika-Manfoumbi Modeste Bouyou-Akotet Marielle K Matsiegui Pierre-Blaise Mavoungou Elie Kombila Maryvonne |
author_facet |
Kendjo Eric Ionete-Collard Denisa E Mabika-Manfoumbi Modeste Bouyou-Akotet Marielle K Matsiegui Pierre-Blaise Mavoungou Elie Kombila Maryvonne |
author_sort |
Kendjo Eric |
title |
Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon |
title_short |
Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon |
title_full |
Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon |
title_fullStr |
Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon |
title_full_unstemmed |
Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon |
title_sort |
prevalence of plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in gabon |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-2-18 https://doaj.org/article/0ce40cdae0784fe2b76b72016d44e008 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-66.783,-66.783,-68.867,-68.867) |
geographic |
Arctic Sickle |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Sickle |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Malaria Journal, Vol 2, Iss 1, p 18 (2003) |
op_relation |
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/2/1/18 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-2-18 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/0ce40cdae0784fe2b76b72016d44e008 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-2-18 |
container_title |
Malaria Journal |
container_volume |
2 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
18 |
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1766341711349415936 |