ISSN 2736-173X
Full Length Research Paper
A study of the public health burden of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum
Olukosi, Y.A1*; Iwalokun, B.A2; Magbagbeola, O.A1; Akinwande, AI1; Adewole, TA3; Agomo, PU3; Awolola, TS4
1 Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos P.M.B. 12003 Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria
2Department of Biochemistry, Lagos State University P.M.B. 1087 Apapa – Lagos, Nigeria.
3 Department of Biochemistry, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) 6, Edmund Crescent Street P.M.B. 2016, Yaba Lagos – Nigeria.
4Public Health Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR). 6, Edmund Crescent street. PMB. 2016. Yaba – Lagos, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].
Accepted 11 May, 2015
Abstract
Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains a public health problem in Nigerian children with treatment complicated by expansion of chloroquine resistant strains known to harbour a common K76T point mutation in their pfcrt alleles. Here, we report the outcome of a 2 – year (March 2000 – February 2002) molecular surveillance for pfcrtT76 in children aged 6 months – 13 years with acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria in rural and urban Lagos, Nigeria. Rural-urban pfcrtT76 acquisition of 48.7 vs. 73.7% and 67.3 vs. 74.6% due to monoclonal and polyclonal P. falciparum parasitaemia, respectively, were found in the two study years, suggesting unstable but increasing prevalence of pfcrt T76 allele acquisition in the rural area. Further analyses showed that acquisition of pfcrtT76 allele was independent of sex but occurred more in 5 – year old children than older children in both populations. The impacts of K76T mutation in pfcrt gene and immunity on the clinical efficacy of chloroquine against acute uncomplicated malaria are discussed.
Key words: pfcrt T76 mutation, Plasmodium falciparum malaria, chloroquine resistance, Nigerian children.