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Prevalencia y factores de riesgo de las infecciones por Plasmodium falciparum en mujeres embarazadas en Luanda, Angola
Author(s) -
Valente Bianor,
Campos Paulo A.,
do Rosário Virgílio E.,
Varandas Luis,
Silveira Henrique
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02830.x
Subject(s) - malaria , plasmodium falciparum , medicine , pregnancy , obstetrics , cross sectional study , population , gynecology , environmental health , immunology , biology , genetics , pathology
Summary Pregnant women are at increased risk of malaria, but in Angola, epidemiologic data from this group is almost inexistent. We conducted a cross‐sectional study to determine the prevalence and risk factors of Plasmodium falciparum infections in 567 pregnant Angolan women living in Luanda province. One in five women had P. falciparum at delivery, diagnosed by PCR assay. Age, residence and history of malaria during pregnancy were significantly associated with P. falciparum infection, but gravidity and use of anti‐malarial drugs were not. Placental infections were significantly more common in women ≤18 years old and in primigravidae, but we could not correlate placental infections with poor pregnancy outcomes. These findings are relevant to malaria control policies in Luanda, Angola.