Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23212366›Full record

ArticleNature communications2012

Factors determining the occurrence of submicroscopic malaria infections and their relevance for control.

Lucy C Okell, Teun Bousema, Jamie T Griffin, André Lin Ouédraogo, Azra C Ghani, Chris J Drakeley

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 434 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
434citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05086887 unknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2019, after this paper: background citation

Infections in Migrants in Sweden - the Importance of Malaria and Other Parasitic Infections

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorRegion StockholmRan2019 to 2023Enrolled715ConditionsMalaria, Parasitic InfectionArmsMalaria diagnostic tests (RDT and PCR) and serology for malaria and other parasitic diseases
NCT06575647 phase4completednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Mass Drug Administration of Tafenoquine for P. Vivax Radical Cure: Safety and Feasibility Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorShoklo Malaria Research UnitRan2025 to 2025Enrolled1,242ConditionsMalaria, Malaria, Vivax, Plasmodium Vivax, Plasmodium Vivax MalariaArmsTafenoquine
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

434 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  9. Mass drug administration for malaria.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
  10. Global patterns of submicroscopicThe Lancet. Microbe · 2021
    Pooled it
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  20. Prevalence ofThe American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2020
    Trial

374 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Lucy C OkellMRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK. l.okell@imperial.ac.uk
Teun Bousema
Jamie T Griffin
André Lin Ouédraogo
Azra C Ghani
Chris J Drakeley

Funding

Medical Research Council G1002284Medical Research Council G1002387Wellcome Trust 091924
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Malaria parasite prevalence in endemic populations is an essential indicator for monitoring the progress of malaria control, and has traditionally been assessed by microscopy. However, surveys increasingly use sensitive molecular methods that detect higher numbers of infected individuals, questioning our understanding of the true infection burden and resources required to reduce it. Here we analyse a series of data sets to characterize the distribution and epidemiological factors associated with low-density, submicroscopic infections. We show that submicroscopic parasite carriage is common in adults, in low-endemic settings and in chronic infections. We find a strong, non-linear relationship between microscopy and PCR prevalence in population surveys (n=106), and provide a tool to relate these measures. When transmission reaches very low levels, submicroscopic carriers are estimated to be the source of 20-50% of all human-to-mosquito transmissions. Our findings challenge the idea that individuals with little previous malaria exposure have insufficient immunity to control parasitaemia and suggest a role for molecular screening.

Indexed as

Adaptive ImmunityAdolescentAdultAgedAge FactorsAnimalsAnophelesCarrier StateChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantInsect VectorsMalaria, FalciparumMale

Identifiers

PMID23212366
PMCPMC3535331

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.