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Kaewkungwal J, Roobsoong W, Lawpoolsri S, Nguitragool W, Thammapalo S, Prikchoo P, Khamsiriwatchara A, Pawarana R, Jarujareet P, Parker DM, Sripoorote P, Kengganpanich M, Ngamjarus C, Sattabongkot J, Cui L. Effectiveness, Safety, and Acceptability of Primaquine Mass Drug Administration in Low-Endemicity Areas in Southern Thailand: Proof-of-Concept Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2024; 10:e51993. [PMID: 38922648 PMCID: PMC11237773 DOI: 10.2196/51993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A challenge in achieving the malaria-elimination target in the Greater Mekong Subregion, including Thailand, is the predominance of Plasmodium vivax malaria, which has shown extreme resilience to control measures. OBJECTIVE This proof-of-concept study aimed to provide evidence for implementing primaquine mass drug administration (pMDA) as a strategy for P. vivax elimination in low-endemicity settings. METHODS The study employed a mixed-methods trial to thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness, safety, acceptability, and community engagement of pMDA. The quantitative part was designed as a 2-period cluster-crossover randomized controlled trial. The intervention was pMDA augmented to the national prevention and control standards with directly observed treatment (DOT) by village health volunteers. The qualitative part employed in-depth interviews and brainstorming discussions. The study involved 7 clusters in 2 districts of 2 southern provinces in Thailand with persistently low P. vivax transmission. In the quantitative part, 5 cross-sectional blood surveys were conducted in both the pMDA and control groups before and 3 months after pMDA. The effectiveness of pMDA was determined by comparing the proportions of P. vivax infections per 1000 population between the 2 groups, with a multilevel zero-inflated negative binomial model adjusted for cluster and time as covariates and the interaction. The safety data comprised adverse events after drug administration. Thematic content analysis was used to assess the acceptability and engagement of stakeholders. RESULTS In the pre-pMDA period, the proportions of P. vivax infections in the pMDA (n=1536) and control (n=1577) groups were 13.0 (95% CI 8.2-20.4) and 12.0 (95% CI 7.5-19.1), respectively. At month 3 post-pMDA, these proportions in the pMDA (n=1430) and control (n=1420) groups were 8.4 (95% CI 4.6-15.1) and 5.6 (95% CI 2.6-11.5), respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups. The number of malaria cases reduced in all clusters in both groups, and thus, the impact of pMDA was inconclusive. There were no major safety concerns. Acceptance among the study participants and public health care providers at local and national levels was high, and they believed that pMDA had boosted awareness in the community. CONCLUSIONS pMDA was associated with high adherence, safety, and tolerability, but it may not significantly impact P. vivax transmission. As this was a proof-of-concept study, we decided not to scale up the intervention with larger clusters and samples. An alternative approach involving a targeted primaquine treatment strategy with primaquine and DOT is currently being implemented. We experienced success regarding effective health care workforces at point-of-care centers, effective collaborations in the community, and commitment from authorities at local and national levels. Our efforts boosted the acceptability of the malaria-elimination initiative. Community engagement is recommended to achieve elimination targets. TRIAL REGISTRATION Thai Clinical Trials Registry TCTR20190806004; https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20190806004.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - Amnat Khamsiriwatchara
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rungrawee Pawarana
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pawinee Jarujareet
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Daniel M Parker
- Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Piyarat Sripoorote
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mondha Kengganpanich
- Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chetta Ngamjarus
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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Anwar MN, Smith L, Devine A, Mehra S, Walker CR, Ivory E, Conway E, Mueller I, McCaw JM, Flegg JA, Hickson RI. Mathematical models of Plasmodium vivax transmission: A scoping review. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011931. [PMID: 38483975 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is one of the most geographically widespread malaria parasites in the world, primarily found across South-East Asia, Latin America, and parts of Africa. One of the significant characteristics of the P. vivax parasite is its ability to remain dormant in the human liver as hypnozoites and subsequently reactivate after the initial infection (i.e. relapse infections). Mathematical modelling approaches have been widely applied to understand P. vivax dynamics and predict the impact of intervention outcomes. Models that capture P. vivax dynamics differ from those that capture P. falciparum dynamics, as they must account for relapses caused by the activation of hypnozoites. In this article, we provide a scoping review of mathematical models that capture P. vivax transmission dynamics published between January 1988 and May 2023. The primary objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive summary of the mathematical models and techniques used to model P. vivax dynamics. In doing so, we aim to assist researchers working on mathematical epidemiology, disease transmission, and other aspects of P. vivax malaria by highlighting best practices in currently published models and highlighting where further model development is required. We categorise P. vivax models according to whether a deterministic or agent-based approach was used. We provide an overview of the different strategies used to incorporate the parasite's biology, use of multiple scales (within-host and population-level), superinfection, immunity, and treatment interventions. In most of the published literature, the rationale for different modelling approaches was driven by the research question at hand. Some models focus on the parasites' complicated biology, while others incorporate simplified assumptions to avoid model complexity. Overall, the existing literature on mathematical models for P. vivax encompasses various aspects of the parasite's dynamics. We recommend that future research should focus on refining how key aspects of P. vivax dynamics are modelled, including spatial heterogeneity in exposure risk and heterogeneity in susceptibility to infection, the accumulation of hypnozoite variation, the interaction between P. falciparum and P. vivax, acquisition of immunity, and recovery under superinfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nurul Anwar
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Mathematics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
| | - Lauren Smith
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Angela Devine
- Division of Global and Tropical Health, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Health Economics Unit, Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Somya Mehra
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Camelia R Walker
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Ivory
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Eamon Conway
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ivo Mueller
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - James M McCaw
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Jennifer A Flegg
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Roslyn I Hickson
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Townsville, Australia
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Champagne C, Gerhards M, Lana JT, Le Menach A, Pothin E. Quantifying the impact of interventions against Plasmodium vivax: A model for country-specific use. Epidemics 2024; 46:100747. [PMID: 38330786 PMCID: PMC10944169 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2024.100747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to evaluate the impact of various intervention strategies on Plasmodium vivax dynamics in low endemicity settings without significant seasonal pattern, we introduce a simple mathematical model that can be easily adapted to reported case numbers similar to that collected by surveillance systems in various countries. The model includes case management, vector control, mass drug administration and reactive case detection interventions and is implemented in both deterministic and stochastic frameworks. It is available as an R package to enable users to calibrate and simulate it with their own data. Although we only illustrate its use on fictitious data, by simulating and comparing the impact of various intervention combinations on malaria risk and burden, this model could be a useful tool for strategic planning, implementation and resource mobilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Champagne
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - M Gerhards
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - J T Lana
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, USA
| | - A Le Menach
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, USA
| | - E Pothin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, USA
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Mehra S, McCaw JM, Taylor PG. Superinfection and the hypnozoite reservoir for Plasmodium vivax: a general framework. J Math Biol 2023; 88:7. [PMID: 38040981 PMCID: PMC10692056 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-023-02014-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
A characteristic of malaria in all its forms is the potential for superinfection (that is, multiple concurrent blood-stage infections). An additional characteristic of Plasmodium vivax malaria is a reservoir of latent parasites (hypnozoites) within the host liver, which activate to cause (blood-stage) relapses. Here, we present a model of hypnozoite accrual and superinfection for P. vivax. To couple host and vector dynamics for a homogeneously-mixing population, we construct a density-dependent Markov population process with countably many types, for which disease extinction is shown to occur almost surely. We also establish a functional law of large numbers, taking the form of an infinite-dimensional system of ordinary differential equations that can also be recovered by coupling expected host and vector dynamics (i.e. a hybrid approximation) or through a standard compartment modelling approach. Recognising that the subset of these equations that model the infection status of the human hosts has precisely the same form as the Kolmogorov forward equations for a Markovian network of infinite server queues with an inhomogeneous batch arrival process, we use physical insight into the evolution of the latter process to write down a time-dependent multivariate generating function for the solution. We use this characterisation to collapse the infinite-compartment model into a single integrodifferential equation (IDE) governing the intensity of mosquito-to-human transmission. Through a steady state analysis, we recover a threshold phenomenon for this IDE in terms of a parameter [Formula: see text] expressible in terms of the primitives of the model, with the disease-free equilibrium shown to be uniformly asymptotically stable if [Formula: see text] and an endemic equilibrium solution emerging if [Formula: see text]. Our work provides a theoretical basis to explore the epidemiology of P. vivax, and introduces a strategy for constructing tractable population-level models of malarial superinfection that can be generalised to allow for greater biological realism in a number of directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somya Mehra
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
| | - James M McCaw
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Peter G Taylor
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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