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  Co-infection with malaria and intestinal parasites such as  Ascaris lumbricoides  is common. Malaria parasites induce a pro-inflammatory immune response that contributes to the pathogenic sequelae, such as malarial anaemia, that occur in malaria infection.  Ascaris  is known to create an anti-inflammatory immune environment which could, in theory, counteract the anti-malarial inflammatory immune response, minimizing the severity of malarial anaemia. This study examined whether  Ascaris  co-infection can minimize the severity of malarial anaemia.    Methods  Data from a randomized controlled trial on the effect of antihelminthic treatment in Nigerian preschool-aged (6–59 months) children conducted in 2006–2007 were analysed to examine the effect of malaria and  Ascaris  co-infection on anaemia severity. Children were enrolled and tested for malaria, helminths and anaemia at baseline, four, and eight months. Six hundred and ninety subjects were analysed in this study. Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess the relationship between infection status and  Ascaris  and  Plasmodium  parasite intensity on severity of anaemia, defined as a haemoglobin less than 11 g/dL.    Results  Malaria prevalence ranged from 35-78% over the course of this study. Of the malaria-infected children, 55% were co-infected with  Ascaris  at baseline, 60% were co-infected four months later and 48% were co-infected eight months later, underlining the persistent prevalence of malaria-nematode co-infections in this population. Over the course of the study the percentage of anaemic subjects in the population ranged between 84% at baseline and 77% at the eight-month time point. The odds of being anaemic were four to five times higher in children infected with malaria compared to those without malaria.  Ascaris  infection alone did not increase the odds of being anaemic, indicating that malaria was the main cause of anaemia in this population. There was no significant difference in the severity of anaemia between children singly infected with malaria and co-infected with malaria and  Ascaris .    Conclusion  In this cohort of Nigerian preschool children, malaria infection was the major contributor to anaemia status.  Ascaris  co-infection neither exacerbated nor ameliorated the severity of malarial anaemia.

Ascaris co-infection does not alter malaria-induced anaemia in a cohort of Nigerian preschool children