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Pak D, Kamiya T, Greischar MA. Proliferation in malaria parasites: How resource limitation can prevent evolution of greater virulence. Evolution 2024; 78:1287-1301. [PMID: 38581661 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae057] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
For parasites, robust proliferation within hosts is crucial for establishing the infection and creating opportunities for onward transmission. While faster proliferation enhances transmission rates, it is often assumed to curtail transmission duration by killing the host (virulence), a trade-off constraining parasite evolution. Yet in many diseases, including malaria, the preponderance of infections with mild or absent symptoms suggests that host mortality is not a sufficient constraint, raising the question of what restrains evolution toward faster proliferation. In malaria infections, the maximum rate of proliferation is determined by the burst size, the number of daughter parasites produced per infected red blood cell. Larger burst sizes should expand the pool of infected red blood cells that can be used to produce the specialized transmission forms needed to infect mosquitoes. We use a within-host model parameterized for rodent malaria parasites (Plasmodium chabaudi) to project the transmission consequences of burst size, focusing on initial acute infection where resource limitation and risk of host mortality are greatest. We find that resource limitation restricts evolution toward higher burst sizes below the level predicted by host mortality alone. Our results suggest resource limitation could represent a more general constraint than virulence-transmission trade-offs, preventing evolution towards faster proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damie Pak
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Tsukushi Kamiya
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, Paris, France
- HRB Clinical Research Facility, University of Galway, Ireland
| | - Megan A Greischar
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
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2
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Owalla TJ, Hergott DEB, Seilie AM, Staubus W, Chavtur C, Chang M, Kublin JG, Egwang TG, Murphy SC. Rethinking detection of pre-existing and intervening Plasmodium infections in malaria clinical trials. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1003452. [PMID: 36203582 PMCID: PMC9531235 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1003452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-existing and intervening low-density Plasmodium infections complicate the conduct of malaria clinical trials. These infections confound infection detection endpoints, and their immunological effects may detract from intended vaccine-induced immune responses. Historically, these infections were often unrecognized since infrequent and often analytically insensitive parasitological testing was performed before and during trials. Molecular diagnostics now permits their detection, but investigators must weigh the cost, complexity, and personnel demands on the study and the laboratory when scheduling such tests. This paper discusses the effect of pre-existing and intervening, low-density Plasmodium infections on malaria vaccine trial endpoints and the current methods employed for their infection detection. We review detection techniques, that until recently, provided a dearth of cost-effective strategies for detecting low density infections. A recently deployed, field-tested, simple, and cost-effective molecular diagnostic strategy for detecting pre-existing and intervening Plasmodium infections from dried blood spots (DBS) in malaria-endemic settings is discussed to inform new clinical trial designs. Strategies that combine sensitive molecular diagnostic techniques with convenient DBS collections and cost-effective pooling strategies may enable more thorough and informative infection monitoring in upcoming malaria clinical trials and epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonny J. Owalla
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Med Biotech Laboratories, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dianna E. B. Hergott
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Annette M. Seilie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Weston Staubus
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Chris Chavtur
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Ming Chang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - James G. Kublin
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Seattle Malaria Clinical Trials Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Thomas G. Egwang
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Med Biotech Laboratories, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sean C. Murphy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Seattle Malaria Clinical Trials Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States,Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,*Correspondence: Sean C. Murphy,
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3
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Hergott DEB, Owalla TJ, Balkus JE, Apio B, Lema J, Cemeri B, Akileng A, Seilie AM, Chavtur C, Staubus W, Chang M, Egwang TG, Murphy SC. Feasibility of community at-home dried blood spot collection combined with pooled reverse transcription PCR as a viable and convenient method for malaria epidemiology studies. Malar J 2022; 21:221. [PMID: 35836179 PMCID: PMC9284728 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04239-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Many Plasmodium infections in endemic regions exist at densities below the limit of detection of standard diagnostic tools. These infections threaten control efforts and may impact vaccine and therapeutic drug studies. Simple, cost-effective methods are needed to study the natural history of asymptomatic submicroscopic parasitaemia. Self-collected dried blood spots (DBS) analysed using pooled and individual quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) provide such a solution. Here, the feasibility and acceptability of daily at-home DBS collections for qRT-PCR was studied to better understand low-density infections. Methods Rapid diagnostic test (RDT)-negative individuals in Katakwi District, northeastern Uganda, were recruited between April and May 2021. Venous blood samples and clinic-collected DBS were taken at enrollment and at four weekly clinic visits. Participants were trained in DBS collection and asked to collect six DBS weekly between clinic visits. Opinions about the collection process were solicited using daily Diary Cards and a Likert scale survey at the final study visit. Venous blood and DBS were analysed by Plasmodium 18S rRNA qRT-PCR. The number of participants completing the study, total DBS collected, and opinions of the process were analysed to determine compliance and acceptability. The human internal control mRNA and Plasmodium 18S rRNA were evaluated for at-home vs. clinic-collected DBS and venous blood to assess quality and accuracy of at-home collected samples. Results One-hundred two adults and 29 children were enrolled, and 95 and 26 completed the study, respectively. Three individuals withdrew due to pain or inconvenience of procedures. Overall, 96% of participants collected ≥ 16 of 24 at-home DBS, and 87% of DBS contained ≥ 40 µL of blood. The procedure was well tolerated and viewed favourably by participants. At-home collected DBS were acceptable for qRT-PCR and showed less than a one qRT-PCR cycle threshold shift in the human control mRNA compared to clinic-collected DBS. Correlation between Plasmodium falciparum 18S rRNA from paired whole blood and DBS was high (R = 0.93). Conclusions At-home DBS collection is a feasible, acceptable, and robust method to obtain blood to evaluate the natural history of low-density Plasmodium infections by qRT-PCR. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-022-04239-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianna E B Hergott
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, 750 Republican St., F870, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tonny J Owalla
- Med Biotech Laboratories, P.O. Box 9364, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jennifer E Balkus
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jimmy Lema
- Med Biotech Laboratories, P.O. Box 9364, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Barbara Cemeri
- Med Biotech Laboratories, P.O. Box 9364, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Andrew Akileng
- Med Biotech Laboratories, P.O. Box 9364, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Annette M Seilie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, 750 Republican St., F870, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.,Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chris Chavtur
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, 750 Republican St., F870, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.,Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Weston Staubus
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, 750 Republican St., F870, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.,Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ming Chang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, 750 Republican St., F870, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.,Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Sean C Murphy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, 750 Republican St., F870, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA. .,Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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4
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Roe MS, O’Flaherty K, Fowkes FJ. Can malaria parasites be spontaneously cleared? Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:356-364. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Galatas B, Saúte F, Martí-Soler H, Guinovart C, Nhamussua L, Simone W, Munguambe H, Hamido C, Montañà J, Muguande O, Maartens F, Luis F, Paaijmans K, Mayor A, Bassat Q, Menéndez C, Macete E, Rabinovich R, Alonso PL, Candrinho B, Aide P. A multiphase program for malaria elimination in southern Mozambique (the Magude project): A before-after study. PLoS Med 2020; 17:e1003227. [PMID: 32797101 PMCID: PMC7428052 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria eradication remains the long-term vision of the World Health Organization (WHO). However, whether malaria elimination is feasible in areas of stable transmission in sub-Saharan Africa with currently available tools remains a subject of debate. This study aimed to evaluate a multiphased malaria elimination project to interrupt Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission in a rural district of southern Mozambique. METHODS AND FINDINGS A before-after study was conducted between 2015 and 2018 in the district of Magude, with 48,448 residents living in 10,965 households. Building on an enhanced surveillance system, two rounds of mass drug administrations (MDAs) per year over two years (phase I, August 2015-2017), followed by one year of reactive focal mass drug administrations (rfMDAs) (phase II, September 2017-June 2018) were deployed with annual indoor residual spraying (IRS), programmatically distributed long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), and standard case management. The four MDA rounds covered 58%-72% of the population, and annual IRS reported coverage was >70%. Yearly parasite surveys and routine surveillance data were used to monitor the primary outcomes of the study-malaria prevalence and incidence-at baseline and annually since the onset of the project. Parasite prevalence by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) declined from 9.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.0-11.8) in May 2015 to 2.6% (95% CI 2.0-3.4), representing a 71.3% (95% CI 71.1-71.4, p < 0.001) reduction after phase I, and to 1.4% (95% CI 0.9-2.2) after phase II. This represented an 84.7% (95% CI 81.4-87.4, p < 0.001) overall reduction in all-age prevalence. Case incidence fell from 195 to 75 cases per 1,000 during phase I (61.5% reduction) and to 67 per 1,000 during phase II (65.6% overall reduction). Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was used to estimate the level and trend change in malaria cases associated with the set of project interventions and the number of cases averted. Phase I interventions were associated with a significant immediate reduction in cases of 69.1% (95% CI 57.5-77.6, p < 0.001). Phase II interventions were not associated with a level or trend change. An estimated 76.7% of expected cases were averted throughout the project (38,369 cases averted of 50,005 expected). One malaria-associated inpatient death was observed during the study period. There were 277 mild adverse events (AEs) recorded through the passive pharmacovigilance system during the four MDA rounds. One serious adverse event (SAE) that resulted in death was potentially related to the drug. The study was limited by the incomplete coverage of interventions, the quality of the routine and cross-sectional data collected, and the restricted accuracy of ITS analysis with a short pre-intervention period. CONCLUSION In this study, we observed that the interventions deployed during the Magude project fell short of interrupting P. falciparum transmission with the coverages achieved. While new tools and strategies may be required to eventually achieve malaria elimination in stable transmission areas of sub-Saharan Africa, this project showed that innovative mixes of interventions can achieve large reductions in disease burden, a necessary step in the pathway towards elimination. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02914145.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Galatas
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- * E-mail:
| | - Francisco Saúte
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | | | - Lidia Nhamussua
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Wilson Simone
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Camilo Hamido
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Júlia Montañà
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Olinda Muguande
- Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da Comunidade, Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Fabião Luis
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Krijn Paaijmans
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States of America
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Menéndez
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eusebio Macete
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Regina Rabinovich
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Pedro L. Alonso
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Baltazar Candrinho
- National Malaria Control Program, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pedro Aide
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
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Awandu SS, Raman J, Bousema T, Birkholtz LM. Ultralow-density Plasmodium falciparum Infections in African Settings. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 69:1463-1464. [PMID: 30763434 PMCID: PMC6763629 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shehu S Awandu
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control & Medical Research Council Collaborating Centre for Malaria Research, University of Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jaishree Raman
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases.,Wits Research Institute for Malaria Research, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Teun Bousema
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lyn-Marie Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control & Medical Research Council Collaborating Centre for Malaria Research, University of Pretoria, South Africa
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Fradejas I, Rubio JM, Martín-Díaz A, Herrero-Martínez JM, Ruiz-Giardin JM, Rojo-Marcos G, Velasco M, Calderón-Moreno M, Azcona-Gutierrez JM, Merino FJ, Olmo BA, Espinosa M, Cuadrado M, González-Monte E, Jaqueti J, Cuadros J, Campelo C, Delgado-Iribarren A, Martín-Rabadán P, García-García C, Martín-Laso MÁ, Valle-Borrego B, García MC, Lizasoaín M, Pérez-Ayala A. Prevalence of submicroscopic malaria infection in immigrants living in Spain. Malar J 2019; 18:242. [PMID: 31315624 PMCID: PMC6637620 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2870-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The importance of submicroscopic malaria infections in high-transmission areas could contribute to maintain the parasite cycle. Regarding non-endemic areas, its importance remains barely understood because parasitaemia in these afebrile patients is usually below the detection limits for microscopy, hence molecular techniques are often needed for its diagnosis. In addition to this, the lack of standardized protocols for the screening of submicroscopic malaria in immigrants from endemic areas may underestimate the infection with Plasmodium spp. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of submicroscopic malaria in afebrile immigrants living in a non-endemic area. METHODS A prospective, observational, multicentre study was conducted. Afebrile immigrants were included, microscopic observation of Giemsa-stained thin and thick blood smears, and two different molecular techniques detecting Plasmodium spp. were performed. Patients with submicroscopic malaria were defined as patients with negative blood smears and detection of DNA of Plasmodium spp. with one or both molecular techniques. Demographic, clinical, analytical and microbiological features were recorded and univariate analysis by subgroups was carried out with STATA v15. RESULTS A total of 244 afebrile immigrants were included in the study. Of them, 14 had a submicroscopic malaria infection, yielding a prevalence of 5.7% (95% confidence interval 3.45-9.40). In 71.4% of the positive PCR/negative microscopy cases, Plasmodium falciparum alone was the main detected species (10 out of the 14 patients) and in 4 cases (28.6%) Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium ovale were detected. One patient had a mixed infection including three different species. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of submicroscopic malaria in afebrile immigrants was similar to that previously described in Spain. Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale were detected in almost a third of the submicroscopic infections. Screening protocols for afebrile immigrants with molecular techniques could be useful for a proper management of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Fradejas
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Miguel Rubio
- National Microbiology Centre, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ariadna Martín-Díaz
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - María Velasco
- Hospital Universitario Fundación de Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - María Espinosa
- Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Cuadrado
- Emergency Service, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther González-Monte
- Nephrology and Renal Transplant Service, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Juan Cuadros
- Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Manuel Lizasoaín
- Infectious Diseases Service Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pérez-Ayala
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
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8
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Slater HC, Ross A, Felger I, Hofmann NE, Robinson L, Cook J, Gonçalves BP, Björkman A, Ouedraogo AL, Morris U, Msellem M, Koepfli C, Mueller I, Tadesse F, Gadisa E, Das S, Domingo G, Kapulu M, Midega J, Owusu-Agyei S, Nabet C, Piarroux R, Doumbo O, Doumbo SN, Koram K, Lucchi N, Udhayakumar V, Mosha J, Tiono A, Chandramohan D, Gosling R, Mwingira F, Sauerwein R, Paul R, Riley EM, White NJ, Nosten F, Imwong M, Bousema T, Drakeley C, Okell LC. The temporal dynamics and infectiousness of subpatent Plasmodium falciparum infections in relation to parasite density. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1433. [PMID: 30926893 PMCID: PMC6440965 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09441-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria infections occurring below the limit of detection of standard diagnostics are common in all endemic settings. However, key questions remain surrounding their contribution to sustaining transmission and whether they need to be detected and targeted to achieve malaria elimination. In this study we analyse a range of malaria datasets to quantify the density, detectability, course of infection and infectiousness of subpatent infections. Asymptomatically infected individuals have lower parasite densities on average in low transmission settings compared to individuals in higher transmission settings. In cohort studies, subpatent infections are found to be predictive of future periods of patent infection and in membrane feeding studies, individuals infected with subpatent asexual parasite densities are found to be approximately a third as infectious to mosquitoes as individuals with patent (asexual parasite) infection. These results indicate that subpatent infections contribute to the infectious reservoir, may be long lasting, and require more sensitive diagnostics to detect them in lower transmission settings. The role of subpatent infections for malaria transmission and elimination is unclear. Here, Slater et al. analyse several malaria datasets to quantify the density, detectability, course of infection and infectiousness of subpatent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah C Slater
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK.
| | - Amanda Ross
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, 4002, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, 4001, Switzerland
| | - Ingrid Felger
- University of Basel, Basel, 4001, Switzerland.,Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, 4002, Switzerland
| | - Natalie E Hofmann
- University of Basel, Basel, 4001, Switzerland.,Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, 4002, Switzerland
| | - Leanne Robinson
- Vector-borne Diseases Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute for Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea.,Division of Population Health and Immunity, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, 3052, VIC, Australia.,Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, VIC, Australia.,Disease Elimination, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, 3004, VIC, Australia
| | - Jackie Cook
- MRC Tropical Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Bronner P Gonçalves
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Anders Björkman
- Malaria Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andre Lin Ouedraogo
- Département de Sciences Biomédicales, Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, 01 BP 2208, Burkina Faso.,Institute for Disease Modeling, Intellectual Ventures, Bellevue, 98005, Washington, USA
| | - Ulrika Morris
- Malaria Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mwinyi Msellem
- Department of Training and Research, Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, 3052, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556, USA
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, 3052, VIC, Australia.,Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, VIC, Australia
| | - Fitsum Tadesse
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, 6525, The Netherlands.,Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Institute of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Smita Das
- Diagnostics Program, PATH, Seattle, Washington, 98121, United States of America
| | - Gonzalo Domingo
- Diagnostics Program, PATH, Seattle, Washington, 98121, United States of America
| | - Melissa Kapulu
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK.,KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya, Centre for Genomics and Global Health, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Janet Midega
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK.,KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya, Centre for Genomics and Global Health, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Seth Owusu-Agyei
- Institute of Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, PMB 31, Ghana
| | - Cécile Nabet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre-Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, AP- HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, 75646, France
| | - Renaud Piarroux
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre-Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, AP- HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Paris, 75646, France
| | - Ogobara Doumbo
- Malaria Research and Training Centre, Parasitic Diseases Epidemiology Department, UMI 3189, University of Sciences, Technique and Technology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Safiatou Niare Doumbo
- Malaria Research and Training Centre, Parasitic Diseases Epidemiology Department, UMI 3189, University of Sciences, Technique and Technology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Kwadwo Koram
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Naomi Lucchi
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, 30030, GA, United States of America
| | - Venkatachalam Udhayakumar
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, 30030, GA, United States of America
| | - Jacklin Mosha
- National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza Medical Research Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Alfred Tiono
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, 01 BP 2208, Burkina Faso
| | - Daniel Chandramohan
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Roly Gosling
- Malaria Elimination Initiative, Global Health Group, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, CA, United States
| | - Felista Mwingira
- Biological Sciences Department, Dar es Salaam University College of Education, P. O. Box 2329, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Robert Sauerwein
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, 6525, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Paul
- Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Laboratoire d'Entomologie Médicale, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Eleanor M Riley
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.,The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Nicholas J White
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK.,Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Francois Nosten
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Mallika Imwong
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.,Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Teun Bousema
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.,Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, 6525, The Netherlands
| | - Chris Drakeley
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Lucy C Okell
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK
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