English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Background  In malaria endemic areas, continuous exposure to  Plasmodium  parasites leads to asymptomatic carriers that provide a fundamental reservoir of parasites, contributing to the persistence of malaria transmission. Therefore, in the present investigation, the presence and prevalence of malaria asymptomatic cases were determined to evaluate the reservoir of infection in two malaria endemic areas with a previous history of malaria transmission in the south of Iran, Bashagard and Ghale-Ganj districts of Hormozgan and Kerman provinces, respectively, where malaria transmission has been drastically reduced in the recent years.    Methods  The population samples (n=500 from each of the studied areas) were randomly collected from non-febrile, long-term residing, aged two to over 60years, during 20092010. Three identical surveys were carried out in both study areas and in each phase all the consent participants were interviewed and clinically examined. In all, three surveys to detect hidden parasite reservoirs (both  Plasmodium falciparum  and  Plasmodium vivax ), thick and thin blood smears and a highly sensitive nested-PCR were applied. In addition, the sero-prevalence survey for detecting malaria exposure was done by using a serological marker.    Results  In this study,  P. vivax  and  P. falciparum  parasites were not detected by light microscopy and nested-PCR assay in all three surveys of samples. Antibody responses against  P. vivax  and  P. falciparum  were detected in 1 % and 0.2 % of the total examined individuals, respectively, in Bashagard district. Regarding to Ghale-Ganj district, about 0.9% of the individuals had IgG -specific antibody to  P. vivax  at the first and second surveys, but at the third survey 0.45% of the participants had positive antibody to  P. vivax  parasite. IgG -specific antibody to  P. falciparum  was detected in 0.2% of the participants at the first and follow-up surveys. The overall regional differences were not statistically significant ( P >0.05).    Conclusion  Taken together, the lack of asymptomatic carrier with the evidence of extremely low sero-positive to both  P. vivax  and  P. falciparum  among examined individuals supported the limited recent transmission in the studied areas and, therefore, these parts of Iran have potential to eliminate the disease in the next few years. However, continued follow up and action are still needed in both studied areas and also in their neighbouring province, Sistan and Baluchistan, which has the highest reported cases of malaria in Iran and also, has the largest border line with Afghanistan and Pakistan, with no elimination activities. This data will provide useful information for managing elimination activities in Iran.

Survey for asymptomatic malaria cases in low transmission settings of Iran under elimination programme