Congenital malaria in Calabar, Nigeria: the molecular perspective |
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Authors: | Oduwole Olabisi A Ejezie G C Odey Friday A Oringanje Chioma M Nwakanma Davis Bello Segun Oriero Eniyou Okebe Joseph Alaribe Anyawu A Etuk Saturday Meremikwu Martin |
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Affiliation: | Institute of Tropical Diseases Research and Prevention, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Cross River State, Calabar, Nigeria. olabisioduwole@yahoo.co.uk |
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Abstract: | Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been shown to be more sensitive in detecting low-level parasitemia than conventional blood film microscopy. We estimated the prevalence of congenital malaria using nested PCR amplification of the small subunit 18S RNA gene to detect low-level parasitemia and identify Plasmodium species in 204 mother-neonate pairs. Cord-blood parasitemia was detected in four babies by PCR, giving a prevalence of 2.0%. The newborns of primidgravidae were more susceptible to congenital malaria than those of multigravidae (P < 0.0001). There was a strong correlation between placental malaria and congenital malaria (odds ratio = 10.1, 95% confidence interval = 1.3-76.1, P = 0.0487). We conclude that the prevalence of congenital malaria in Calabar detected by PCR is lower than has been reported in this environment through microscopy. |
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