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Haldar K, Alam MS, Koepfli C, Lobo NF, Phru CS, Islam MN, Faiz A, Khan WA, Haque R. Bangladesh in the era of malaria elimination. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:760-773. [PMID: 37500334 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Bangladesh has dramatically reduced malaria by 93% from 2008 to 2020. The strategy has been district-wise, phased elimination; however, the last districts targeted for elimination include remote, forested regions which present several challenges for prevention, detection, and treatment of malaria. These districts border Myanmar which harbors Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites resistant to artemisinins, key drugs used in artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) that have been vital for control programs. Challenges in monitoring emergence of artemisinin resistance (AR), tracking parasite reservoirs, changes in vector behavior and responses to insecticides, as well as other environmental and host factors (including the migration of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals; FDMNs) may pose added hazards in the final phase of eliminating malaria in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasturi Haldar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, IN, USA; Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, IN, USA; Eck Institute of Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, IN, USA.
| | - Mohammed Shafiul Alam
- Infectious Disease Division, International Center of Diarrheal Diseases, Bangladesh, (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, IN, USA; Eck Institute of Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, IN, USA
| | - Neil F Lobo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, IN, USA; Eck Institute of Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, IN, USA
| | - Ching Shwe Phru
- Infectious Disease Division, International Center of Diarrheal Diseases, Bangladesh, (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Abul Faiz
- Dev Care Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Wasif Ali Khan
- Infectious Disease Division, International Center of Diarrheal Diseases, Bangladesh, (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rashidul Haque
- Infectious Disease Division, International Center of Diarrheal Diseases, Bangladesh, (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Al-Amin HM, Rodriguez I, Phru CS, Khan WA, Haque R, Nahlen BL, Burton TA, Alam MS, Lobo NF. Composition of Anopheles species and bionomic characteristics over the peak malaria transmission season in Bandarban, Bangladesh. Malar J 2023; 22:176. [PMID: 37280591 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04614-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Joint efforts by government and non-government organizations have helped to reduce malaria in Bangladesh and set the country on a clear path to eventual malaria elimination. However, achieving that goal would be challenging without a comprehensive understanding of vector bionomics. METHODS Targeted capturing of Anopheles mosquitoes over a rainy season, utilizing specific sampling methods, including human landing catches (HLCs), CDC-light traps (CDC-LTs), and pyrethrum spray catches (PSCs) were aimed to characterize entomological drivers of transmission in four sites of Bandarban, Bangladesh. RESULTS Molecular characterization of a subset of 4637 mosquitoes has demonstrated the presence of at least 17 species whose capture rates were representative of the rainy season. Species compositions and bionomic traits did not vary between sites with Anopheles maculatus having the highest landing rate by HLCs and Anopheles vagus having the highest capture rate with CDC-LTs. Interestingly, Anopheles species compositions and capture rates varied significantly (p < 0.05) for An. vagus, between HLCs and its often-used proxy-CDC-LTs- suggesting impacts on downstream analysis. CDC-LTs capture rates demonstrated differing compositions with indoor and outdoor biting rates. For example, Anopheles nigerrimus and Anopheles nivipes were more endophagic by HLCs and more exophagic by CDC-LTs. The use of a cow-baited CDC-LT also demonstrated significantly different results when compared to a human-baited CDC-LT considering the high degree of anthropophily in these species. The exception to both zoophily and indoor resting was An. vagus, which demonstrated both anthropophily and high resting rates indoors-pointing to this species being a possible primary vector at this site. CONCLUSION A diverse Anopheles fauna in Bandarban has been confirmed through molecular methods, highlighting the potential impact of sampling techniques. Given the complexity of the local ecosystem, a better understanding of mosquito behaviour and ecology is required to achieve the goal of malaria elimination in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Mohammad Al-Amin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Isabella Rodriguez
- Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Ching Swe Phru
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Wasif A Khan
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rashidul Haque
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Bernard L Nahlen
- Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Timothy A Burton
- Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Mohammad Shafiul Alam
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Neil F Lobo
- Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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Bellotti E, Voros A, Passah M, Nongrum QD, Nengnong CB, Khongwir C, van Eijk A, Kessler A, Sarkar R, Carlton JM, Albert S. Social network and household exposure explain the use of malaria prevention measures in rural communities of Meghalaya, India. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.23.23288997. [PMID: 37162984 PMCID: PMC10168486 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.23.23288997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Malaria remains a global concern despite substantial reduction in incidence over the past twenty years. Public health interventions to increase the uptake of preventive measures have contributed to this decline but their impact has not been uniform. To date, we know little about what determines the use of preventive measures in rural, hard-to-reach populations, which are crucial contexts for malaria eradication. We collected detailed interview data on the use of malaria preventive measures, health-related discussion networks, individual characteristics, and household composition in ten tribal, malaria-endemic villages in Meghalaya, India in 2020-2021 (n=1,530). Employing standard and network statistical models, we found that social network and household exposure were consistently positively associated with preventive measure use across villages. Network and household exposure were also the most important factors explaining behaviour, outweighing individual characteristics, opinion leaders, and network size. These results suggest that real-life data on social networks and household composition should be considered in studies of health-behaviour change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bellotti
- Department of Sociology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Andras Voros
- School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Mattimi Passah
- Indian Institute of Public Health Shillong, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
| | | | | | | | - Annemieke van Eijk
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, USA
| | - Anne Kessler
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, USA
| | - Rajiv Sarkar
- Indian Institute of Public Health Shillong, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
| | - Jane M. Carlton
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, USA
| | - Sandra Albert
- Indian Institute of Public Health Shillong, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
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Engel N, Ghergu C, Matin MA, Kibria MG, Thriemer K, Price RN, Ding XC, Howes RE, Ley B, Incardona S, Alam MS. Implementing radical cure diagnostics for malaria: user perspectives on G6PD testing in Bangladesh. Malar J 2021; 20:217. [PMID: 33980257 PMCID: PMC8114691 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03743-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The radical cure of Plasmodium vivax requires treatment with an 8-aminoquinoline drug, such as primaquine and tafenoquine, to eradicate liver hypnozoite stages, which can reactivate to cause relapsing infections. Safe treatment regimens require prior screening of patients for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency to avoid potential life-threatening drug induced haemolysis. Testing is rarely available in malaria endemic countries, but will be needed to support routine use of radical cure. This study investigates end-user perspectives in Bangladesh on the introduction of a quantitative G6PD test (SD Biosensor STANDARD™ G6PD analyser) to support malaria elimination. METHODS The perspectives of users on the SD Biosensor test were analysed using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with health care providers and malaria programme officers in Bangladesh. Key emerging themes regarding the feasibility of introducing this test into routine practice, including perceived barriers, were analysed. RESULTS In total 63 participants were interviewed. Participants emphasized the life-saving potential of the biosensor, but raised concerns including the impact of limited staff time, high workload and some technical aspects of the device. Participants highlighted that there are both too few and too many P. vivax patients to implement G6PD testing owing to challenges of funding, workload and complex testing infrastructure. Implementing the biosensor would require flexibility and improvisation to deal with remote sites, overcoming a low index of suspicion and mutual interplay of declining patient numbers and reluctance to test. This approach would generate new forms of evidence to justify introduction in policy and carefully consider questions of deployment given declining patient numbers. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study show that, in an elimination context, the importance of malaria needs to be maintained for both policy makers and the affected communities, in this case by ensuring P. vivax, PQ treatment, and G6PD deficiency remain visible. Availability of new technologies, such as the biosensor, will fuel ongoing debates about priorities for allocating resources that must be adapted to a constantly evolving target. Technical and logistical concerns regarding the biosensor should be addressed by future product designs, adequate training, strengthened supply chains, and careful planning of communication, advocacy and staff interactions at all health system levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Engel
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Research School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
| | - Cristian Ghergu
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Research School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Mohammad Abdul Matin
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Golam Kibria
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kamala Thriemer
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Ric N Price
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Xavier C Ding
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rosalind E Howes
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benedikt Ley
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Sandra Incardona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mohammad Shafiul Alam
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Ley B, Alam MS, Kibria MG, Marfurt J, Phru CS, Ami JQ, Thriemer K, Auburn S, Jahan N, Johora FT, Hossain MS, Koepfli C, Khan WA, Price RN. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in individuals with and without malaria: Analysis of clinical trial, cross-sectional and case-control data from Bangladesh. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003576. [PMID: 33891581 PMCID: PMC8064587 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity is dependent upon G6PD genotype and age of the red blood cell (RBC) population, with younger RBCs having higher activity. Peripheral parasitemia with Plasmodium spp. induces hemolysis, replacing older RBCs with younger cells with higher G6PD activity. This study aimed to assess whether G6PD activity varies between individuals with and without malaria or a history of malaria. METHODS AND FINDINGS Individuals living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh were enrolled into 3 complementary studies: (i) a prospective, single-arm clinical efficacy trial of patients (n = 175) with uncomplicated malaria done between 2014 and 2015, (ii) a cross-sectional survey done between 2015 and 2016 (n = 999), and (iii) a matched case-control study of aparasitemic individuals with and without a history of malaria done in 2020 (n = 506). G6PD activity was compared between individuals with and without malaria diagnosed by microscopy, rapid diagnostic test (RDT), or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and in aparasitemic participants with and without a history of malaria. In the cross-sectional survey and clinical trial, 15.5% (182/1,174) of participants had peripheral parasitemia detected by microscopy or RDT, 3.1% (36/1,174) were positive by PCR only, and 81.4% (956/1,174) were aparasitemic. Aparasitemic individuals had significantly lower G6PD activity (median 6.9 U/g Hb, IQR 5.2-8.6) than those with peripheral parasitemia detected by microscopy or RDT (7.9 U/g Hb, IQR 6.6-9.8, p < 0.001), but G6PD activity similar to those with parasitemia detected by PCR alone (submicroscopic parasitemia) (6.1 U/g Hb, IQR 4.8-8.6, p = 0.312). In total, 7.7% (14/182) of patients with malaria had G6PD activity < 70% compared to 25.0% (248/992) of participants with submicroscopic or no parasitemia (odds ratio [OR] 0.25, 95% CI 0.14-0.44, p < 0.001). In the case-control study, the median G6PD activity was 10.3 U/g Hb (IQR 8.8-12.2) in 253 patients with a history of malaria and 10.2 U/g Hb (IQR 8.7-11.8) in 253 individuals without a history of malaria (p = 0.323). The proportion of individuals with G6PD activity < 70% was 11.5% (29/253) in the cases and 15.4% (39/253) in the controls (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.41-1.23, p = 0.192). Limitations of the study included the non-contemporaneous nature of the clinical trial and cross-sectional survey. CONCLUSIONS Patients with acute malaria had significantly higher G6PD activity than individuals without malaria, and this could not be accounted for by a protective effect of G6PD deficiency. G6PD-deficient patients with malaria may have higher than expected G6PD enzyme activity and an attenuated risk of primaquine-induced hemolysis compared to the risk when not infected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Ley
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Mohammad Shafiul Alam
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Golam Kibria
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jutta Marfurt
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Ching Swe Phru
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jenifar Quaiyum Ami
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kamala Thriemer
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Sarah Auburn
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Nusrat Jahan
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Fatema Tuj Johora
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Sharif Hossain
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
| | - Wasif Ali Khan
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ric N. Price
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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