Individual and Household Characteristics of Persons with Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Sites with Varying Endemicities in Kinshasa Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Citation

Mwandagalirwa, Melchior Kashamuka; Levitz, Lauren; Thwai, Kyaw L.; Parr, Jonathan B.; Goel, Varun; Janko, Mark M.; Tshefu, Antoinette K.; Emch, Michael E.; Meshnick, Steven R.; & Carrel, Margaret A. (2017). Individual and Household Characteristics of Persons with Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Sites with Varying Endemicities in Kinshasa Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Malaria Journal, 16, 456. PMCID: PMC5680818

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) bears a large share of global malaria burden despite efforts to control and eliminate the disease. More detailed understanding of individual and household level characteristics associated with malaria are needed, as is an understanding of how these characteristics vary spatiotemporally and across different community-level malaria endemicities. An ongoing study in Kinshasa Province is designed to address gaps in prior malaria surveillance in the DRC by monitoring malaria across seasons, age groups and in high and low malaria sites. Across seven sites, 242 households and 1591 individuals are participating in the study. Results of the enrollment questionnaire, rapid diagnostic tests and PCR testing of dried blood spots are presented.
RESULTS: Overall malaria prevalence in the study cohort is high, 27% by rapid diagnostic test and 31% by polymerase chain reaction, and malaria prevalence is highly varied across very small geographic distances. Malaria prevalence is highest in children aged 6-15. While the majority of households own bed nets, bed net usage is less than 50%.
CONCLUSIONS: The study cohort will provide an understanding of how malaria persists in populations that have varying environmental exposures, varying community-level malaria, and varying access to malaria control efforts.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12936-017-2110-7

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2017

Journal Title

Malaria Journal

Series Title

MK Mwandagalirwa et al. Malar J 17 (1), 287. 2018. PMID 30089480.

Author(s)

Mwandagalirwa, Melchior Kashamuka
Levitz, Lauren
Thwai, Kyaw L.
Parr, Jonathan B.
Goel, Varun
Janko, Mark M.
Tshefu, Antoinette K.
Emch, Michael E.
Meshnick, Steven R.
Carrel, Margaret A.

PMCID

PMC5680818

ORCiD

Emch - 0000-0003-2642-965X
Goel - 0000-0002-2933-427X