Antifolate Resistance in Malaria in Angola
Author Information
Author(s): Gama Bianca E, Pereira-Carvalho Guilhermina AL, Lutucuta Kosi Florbela JI, Almeida de Oliveira Natália K, Fortes Filomeno, Rosenthal Philip J, do Rosário Virgílio E, Daniel-Ribeiro Cláudio Tadeu, Fátima Ferreira-da-Cruz Maria de
Primary Institution: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of antifolate resistance mediating polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum samples from Angola?
Conclusion
The study found a high prevalence of polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum that predict antifolate resistance in Luanda, suggesting that the use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for malaria prevention may no longer be appropriate.
Supporting Evidence
- The most prevalent polymorphisms identified were pfdhfr 108N (100%), 51I (93%), 59R (57%) and pfdhps 437G (93%).
- Resistance-mediating polymorphisms in pfdhps less commonly observed in West Africa were also identified.
- The study suggests that the use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for IPT may no longer be warranted in Angola.
Takeaway
This study looked at malaria in Angola and found that many of the malaria parasites are resistant to a common treatment, which means that the treatment might not work well anymore.
Methodology
Blood samples were collected from outpatients in Luanda, and the pfdhfr and pfdhps genes were analyzed for resistance mutations using DNA sequencing.
Limitations
The study had a limited number of samples and may not represent the entire population of Angola.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 21 to 30 years diagnosed with acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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