ArticleBMC infectious diseases2022
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among children and adolescents recruited in a malariometric survey in north-eastern Tanzania July 2021.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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10 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Identification of broadly inhibitory anti-PfEMP1 antibodies by mass spectrometry sequencing of plasma IgG from a malaria-exposed child.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Coinfection of COVID-19 and malaria: clinical profiles, interactions, and strategies for effective control.Malaria journal · 2025Review
- Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Spread in Rural Tanzania During the First 6 Months of the Global COVID-19 Pandemic.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025Article
- Evaluation of a surrogate virus neutralization assay for detecting neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in an African population.Biology methods & protocols · 2025Article
- Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 virus among patients with acute febrile illness in selected sites of Ethiopia 2021-2022.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Humoral Immunity Profiling to Pandemic and Bat-Derived Coronavirus Variants: A Geographical Comparison.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025Article
- Article
- High anti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among unvaccinated mother-child pairs from a rural setting in north-eastern Tanzania during the second wave of COVID-19.IJID regions · 2023Article
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12 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
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Abstract
backgroundAfrican countries stand out globally as the region seemingly least affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. Besides a younger population and potential pre-existing immunity to a SARS-CoV-2-like virus, it has been hypothesized that co-infection or recent history of Plasmodium falciparum malaria may be protective of COVID-19 severity and mortality. The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, however, may be vastly undercounted. Very little is known about the extent to which the Tanzanian population has been exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Here, we investigated the seroprevalence of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in two Tanzanian rural communities 1½ years into the pandemic and the association of coinciding malaria infection and exposure.
methodsDuring a malariometric survey in July 2021 in two villages in north-eastern Tanzania, blood samples were taken from 501 participants (0-19 years old). Malaria was detected by mRDT and microscopy. Levels of IgG against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 were measured by ELISA as well as IgG against five different antigens of P. falciparum; CIDRα1.1, CIDRα1.4 and CIDRα1.5 of PfEMP1 and GLURP and MSP3.
resultsThe seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG was 39.7% (106/267) in Kwamasimba and 32.5% (76/234) in Mkokola. In both villages the odds of being seropositive increased significantly with age (AOR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.07-1.17, p < 0.001). P. falciparum malaria prevalence by blood smear microscopy was 7.9% in Kwamasimba and 2.1% in Mkokola. 81.3% and 70.5% in Kwamasimba and Mkokola, respectively, showed recognition of minimum one malaria antigen. Residing in Kwamasimba was associated with a broader recognition (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.34-2.71, p < 0.001). The recognition of malaria antigens increased significantly with age in both villages (AOR = 1.12; 95% CI 1.08-1.16, p < 0.001). Being SARS-CoV-2 seropositive did not associate with the breadth of malaria antigen recognition when adjusting for age (AOR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.83-1.18; p = 0.91).
conclusionMore than a third of the children and adolescents in two rural communities in Tanzania had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. In particular, the adolescents were seropositive but being seropositive did not associate with the status of coinciding malaria infections or previous exposure. In Tanzania, natural immunity may have developed fast, potentially protecting a substantial part of the population from later variants.
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