Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32539801›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2020

Influx of diverse, drug resistant and transmissible Plasmodium falciparum into a malaria-free setting in Qatar.

Abir Al-Rumhi, Zainab Al-Hashami, Salama Al-Hamidhi, Amal Gadalla, Raeece Naeem, Lisa Ranford-Cartwright, Arnab Pain, Ali A Sultan, Hamza A Babiker

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 2 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021
    Review
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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

9 authors.

Abir Al-RumhiDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Zainab Al-HashamiDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Salama Al-HamidhiDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Amal GadallaDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Raeece NaeemBiological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdulla University for Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Lisa Ranford-CartwrightInstitute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK.
Arnab PainBiological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdulla University for Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ali A SultanDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha, Qatar.
Hamza A BabikerDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Hbabiker@squ.edu.om.

Funding

International Atomic Energy Agency OMA/6/006King Abdullah University of Science and Technology BAS/1/1020-01-01Qatar National Research Fund NPRP 5 - 098 - 3 - 021
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSuccessful control programs have impeded local malaria transmission in almost all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, a prodigious influx of imported malaria via migrant workers sustains the threat of local transmission. Here we examine the origin of imported malaria in Qatar, assess genetic diversity and the prevalence of drug resistance genes in imported Plasmodium falciparum, and finally, address the potential for the reintroduction of local transmission.

methodsThis study examined imported malaria cases reported in Qatar, between 2013 and 2016. We focused on P. falciparum infections and estimated both total parasite and gametocyte density, using qPCR and qRT-PCR, respectively. We also examined ten neutral microsatellites and four genes associated with drug resistance, Pfmrp1, Pfcrt, Pfmdr1, and Pfkelch13, to assess the genetic diversity of imported P. falciparum strains, and the potential for propagating drug resistance genotypes respectively.

resultsThe majority of imported malaria cases were P. vivax, while P. falciparum and mixed species infections (P. falciparum / P. vivax) were less frequent. The primary origin of P. vivax infection was the Indian subcontinent, while P. falciparum was mostly presented by African expatriates. Imported P. falciparum strains were highly diverse, carrying multiple genotypes, and infections also presented with early- and late-stage gametocytes. We observed a high prevalence of mutations implicated in drug resistance among these strains, including novel SNPs in Pfkelch13.

conclusionsThe influx of genetically diverse P. falciparum, with multiple drug resistance markers and a high capacity for gametocyte production, represents a threat for the reestablishment of drug-resistant malaria into GCC countries. This scenario highlights the impact of mass international migration on the reintroduction of malaria to areas with absent or limited local transmission.

Indexed as

Communicable Diseases, ImportedDrug ResistanceGenetic VariationGenotypeHumansMalariaParasite LoadPlasmodium falciparumPlasmodium vivaxPrevalenceQatarGametocytesGulf cooperation council (GCC) countriesImported malariaMalaria eliminationP. falciparumQatar

Identifiers

PMID32539801
PMCPMC7296620

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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.