ArticleMalaria journal2016
Asymptomatic Plasmodium infections in 18 villages of southern Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR (Laos).
Article in Malaria journal, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 71 citations in OpenAlex.
- To what extent do people in malaria-endemic countries know asymptomatic malaria infections? A systematic review.PloS one · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence and proportion estimate of asymptomatic Plasmodium infection in Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2023Pooled it
- The use of ultrasensitive quantitative-PCR to assess the impact of primaquine on asymptomatic relapse of Plasmodium vivax infections: a randomized, controlled trial in Lao PDR.Malaria journal · 2020Trial
- The impact of targeted malaria elimination with mass drug administrations on falciparum malaria in Southeast Asia: A cluster randomised trial.PLoS medicine · 2019Trial
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- Molecular Profiles of Antimalarial Drug Resistance inMicroorganisms · 2025Article
- Asymptomatic/submicroscopicParasite epidemiology and control · 2025Article
- Prevalence of subpatent Plasmodium falciparum infections in regions with varying transmission intensities and implications for malaria elimination in Mainland Tanzania.Malaria journal · 2025Article
- Asymptomatic malaria infections and associated risk factors in malaria-eliminating settings of Nong District, Savannakhet Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic.Tropical medicine and health · 2025Article
- Advancing artemisinin resistance monitoring using a high sensitivity ddPCR assay for Pfkelch13 mutation detection in Asia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Artemisinin-resistant malaria.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2024Review
- Genomic epidemiology demonstrates spatially clustered, local transmission of Plasmodium falciparum in forest-going populations in southern Lao PDR.PLoS pathogens · 2024Article
- Survey of malaria vectors on the Cambodia, Thailand and China-Laos Borders.Malaria journal · 2022Article
- Cross-sectional study of asymptomatic malaria and seroepidemiological surveillance of seven districts in Gia Lai province, Vietnam.Malaria journal · 2022Article
- Forest malaria and prospects for anti-malarial chemoprophylaxis among forest goers: findings from a qualitative study in Lao PDR.Malaria journal · 2022Article
- Seroepidemiological surveillance, community perceptions and associated risk factors of malaria exposure among forest-goers in Northeastern Thailand.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2022Article
- High prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infection in Bandafassi, South-East Senegal.Malaria journal · 2021Article
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12 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundA large fraction of Plasmodium infections do not cause clinical signs and symptoms of disease and persist at densities in blood that are not detectable by microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests. These infections may be critical as a transmission reservoir in areas of low malaria endemicity. Understanding the epidemiology of these infections would be helpful for malaria elimination.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in Thapangthong and Nong Districts of Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR, to determine the prevalence of parasitaemia. A total of 888 blood samples were collected from afebrile volunteers aged ≥15 years in 18 villages during March and July 2015. Plasmodium infections were diagnosed by rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and high volume, ultra-sensitive quantitative polymerase chain reaction (uPCR).
resultsuPCR detected Plasmodium infections in 175 of 888 samples (20 %). The species distribution was Plasmodium falciparum 3.6 % (32/888), Plasmodium vivax 11.1 % (99/888), mixed infections with P. falciparum and P. vivax 1.6 % (14/888) and Plasmodium of undetermined species 3.4 % (30/888). RDT identified only 2 % (18/888) positive cases. Using uPCR as reference, the sensitivity and specificity of RDTs were 28 and 100 %, respectively, in detecting P. falciparum infections, and 3 and 99 % in detecting asymptomatic P. vivax infections. The K13 kelch propeller domain C580Y mutation, associated with reduced susceptibility to artemisinin derivatives, was found in 75 % (12/18) of P. falciparum isolates from Thapangthong and in 7 % (2/28) from Nong (p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, males were more likely to have P. vivax infections [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.76 (95 % CI 2.84-8.00)] while older villagers were at lower risk for parasitaemia [aOR for increasing age 0.98 (95 % CI 0.96-0.99)].
conclusionThere is a high prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections in southern Savannakhet. Artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum strains form an increasing proportion of the parasite population in Thapangthong District and are already present in the more remote Nong District. This worrying trend has wider implications for Laos and could reverse the gains achieved by the successful control of malaria in Laos and the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). Rapid elimination of P. falciparum has to be a top priority in Laos as well as in the wider GMS.
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