Observational studyPloS one2020
Parasite density in severe malaria in Colombia.
Observational study in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Spontaneous splenic rupture in Plasmodium vivax malariaBiomedica : revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud · 2026Article
- Prevalence and associated factors of malaria among febrile patients at two sites with different transmission intensities, Northwest Ethiopia.Parasite epidemiology and control · 2025Article
- The resurgence of malaria in Northern Iran in 2023: a wake-up call.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- The Association Between Malaria Parasite Geometrical Mean and Clinical Spectrum of Severe Disease in a High-Transmission Setting in Eastern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of parasitology research · 2025Article
- Clinical and epidemiological profiles of confirmed malaria cases in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, from 2001 to 2022.Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical · 2025Observational
- Screening Clinical, Laboratory and Host Markers for Diagnosis of Disease Severity inIndian journal of microbiology · 2024Article
- The use of the WHO criteria to detect severe malaria among patients clinically diagnosed with uncomplicated malaria.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Association of apoptosis-related variants to malaria infection and parasite density in individuals from the Brazilian Amazon.Malaria journal · 2023Article
- Asymptomatic malaria infection, associated factors and accuracy of diagnostic tests in a historically high transmission setting in Northern Uganda.Malaria journal · 2022Article
- Development of New Strategies for Malaria Chemoprophylaxis: From Monoclonal Antibodies to Long-Acting Injectable Drugs.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2022Review
- Malaria mortality in Colombia from 2009 to 2018: a descriptive study.Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical · 2021Article
- Malaria risk stratification in Colombia 2010 to 2019.PloS one · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundColombia has officially adopted the parasite density levels of severe malaria established by the WHO (>50,000 parasites/μl). These values have been inferred from areas of high transmission in Africa and are not consistent with the dynamics of low and unstable transmission in Colombia. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the parasite density values observed in patients with severe malaria and their distribution in the different ecoepidemiological regions of Colombia.
methodsA retrospective and descriptive study of confirmed cases of severe malaria was conducted in endemic areas of malaria in Colombia over the period 2014-2017. Data were collected from secondary sources of the Subnational Programs of Malaria Prevention and Control. Person, place, and time variables were selected. The official definition of severe malaria was adopted, and compliance with these criteria was determined. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted with absolute and relative frequency measures, and the relevant statistical tests were applied.
resultsThe overall parasite density values in Colombia showed a geometric mean of 5,919 parasites/μl (95% CI: 5,608-6,248). By parasite species, the values were 6,151 (95% CI: 5,631-6,718) for Plasmodium falciparum and 5,815 (95% CI: 5,428-6,230) for Plasmodium vivax. The highest parasite density values were recorded in the Amazon ecoepidemiological region (8,177; 95% CI: 6,015-11,116), and the lowest values were recorded in the Andean region (5,026; 95% CI: 2,409-10,480).
conclusionsIn endemic areas of low and unstable malaria transmission in the Colombian territory, the parasite density levels observed in populations with severe malaria are lower than the officially established values. The parasite density criterion is not really a relevant criterion for the definition of severe cases in Colombia and it certainly not be used to make a clinical decision about the severity of the disease.
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