Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41071820›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2025

Epidemiology of ovale, vivax and falciparum malaria in the highlands of Cameroon: An integrated community survey of human infection and vector abundance.

Samuel J White, Valery P K Tchuenkam, Mariama Mbouh, Claudia Gaither, Aline Gaelle Bouopda-Tuedom, Belinda Claire Kiam, Zachary R Popkin-Hall, Jacob M Sadler, Kelly Carey-Ewend, Emily Hand and 18 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Complex non-Research square · 2026
    Article
  3. Mixed malaria infections: A critical review and Detect-Characterise-Act surveillance framework.Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

28 authors.

Samuel J WhiteInstitute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Valery P K TchuenkamDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Mariama MbouhDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Claudia GaitherInstitute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Aline Gaelle Bouopda-TuedomCentre du Pasteur Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Belinda Claire KiamCentre du Pasteur Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Zachary R Popkin-HallInstitute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Jacob M SadlerInstitute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Kelly Carey-EwendInstitute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Emily HandInstitute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Miriam N NgumDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Yannick N NgomsiDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Jeffrey A BaileyDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
Darlin B KaundaDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Lethicia K MafoDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Giresse N LemogoDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Clifford L DinkaDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Clifford A NsaniDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Michel NoubomDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
Varun GoelDepartment of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America.
Ibrahima IbrahimaCentre du Pasteur Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Janvier C OngueneCentre du Pasteur Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Feng-Chang LinDepartment of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Jessica T LinInstitute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Sandrine E NsangoCentre du Pasteur Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Rhoel R DinglasanDepartment of Infectious Diseases & Immunology and the Emerging Pathogens Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
Jonathan J JulianoInstitute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-0591-0850
Innocent M AliDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.

Funding

Relapsing malaria in Africa: mechanisms for persistence amid falciparum declineR01AI165537 · NIAID · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Rhoel David Ramos Dinglasan, Jonathan J Juliano · 2022 to 2026
$3.6M
West-Central Africa EMERGENTS International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research (ICEMR)U19AI181594 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI Rhoel David Ramos Dinglasan, Christian T. Happi · 2024 to 2026
$3.0M
Mentoring in Translational Malaria GenomicsK24AI134990 · NIAID · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Jonathan J Juliano · 2018 to 2026
$1.6M
Plasmodium ovale hypnozoite development and relapse: a coordinated in vivo in vitro studyR21AI152260 · NIAID · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI ADAMS, JOHN H, LIN, JESSICA · 2021 to 2022
$418k
Population genomics and relapse epidemiology of Plasmodium ovale in sub-Saharan AfricaF30AI179111 · NIAID · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Kelly Carey-Ewend · 2024 to 2026
$144k
NIAID NIH HHS F30 AI179111NIAID NIH HHS K24 AI134990NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI165537NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI152260NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI181594
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite global malaria control efforts, the disease caused 263 million cases and 597,000 deaths in 2023. While Plasmodium falciparum accounts for most cases in Africa, non-falciparum species, such as P. ovale spp. and P. vivax, can cause relapse infections and are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to human disease. In particular, the highlands of West Cameroon have previously been reported to have high P. vivax infection rates. This study presents preliminary results from the Relapsing Malaria in Africa (ReMA) study, conducted in Dschang, Cameroon, to assess the prevalence and epidemiology of P. vivax and P. ovale spp. A cross-sectional survey of 3,661 participants from 871 households across seven health areas identified a low prevalence of P. vivax (0.1%) and P. ovale spp. (0.64%) using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), while P. falciparum remained prevalent at 8.1%. Co-infections of P. ovale spp. with P. falciparum were observed in 23.1% of P. ovale spp. cases. While gametocytemia was common among falciparum infections, leveraging a new ovale gametocyte assay, we found that gametocytemia was uncommon among the qPCR- positive ovale infections. Spatial analysis found P. vivax and P. ovale spp. infections concentrated in Penka-Michel and Baleveng, the former having higher Anopheles spp. abundance than other areas assessed. Risk factor analysis revealed children and those with recent domestic travel had higher odds of P. falciparum infection, but no significant associations were found for P. ovale spp. infections. Entomological surveys confirmed high densities of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) and An. funestus (s.l.), with significantly higher human landing capture rates for An. gambiae s.l compared to other mosquito species. While these findings suggest that the malaria species which cause relapse are not as widespread as previously thought in West Cameroon, understanding factors driving their persistent transmission, especially without prevalent gametocytemia, will be important for disease control.

Indexed as

MalariaMalaria, FalciparumMalaria, VivaxMosquito VectorsPlasmodium ovaleAdolescentAdultAgedAnimalsAnophelesCameroonChildChild, PreschoolCoinfectionCross-Sectional StudiesFemale

Identifiers

PMID41071820
PMCPMC12513583

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.