Recent advances on vaccines against malaria: A review

This review aims to summarize the currently viable vaccine strategies including the approved vaccines and the those in trials for next-generation malaria vaccines.Data on malaria vaccine development was collected through a comprehensive review.The literature search was performed using databases including Google Scholar,PubMed,NIH,and Web of Science.Various novel approaches of vaccination are being developed,including those based on radiation-attenuated strategies,monoclonal antibodies,targeted immunogenic peptides,RNA and DNA vaccines,nanoparticle-based vaccines,protein-based vaccination protocols,and whole organism-based vaccination strategies.Trials on RTS,S have entered phase Ⅲtesting,and those based on blood-stage vaccines and vaccines to interrupt malarial transmission have advanced to higher stages of trials.Mathematical modeling,combined drug and vaccine strategies,mass drug administration,polyvalent vaccine formulations,and targeted vaccination campaigns is playing an important role in malarial prevention.Furthermore,assessing coverage,accessibility,acceptability,deployment,compilation,and adherence to specific vaccination strategies in endemic regions is essential for vaccination drives against malaria.

CRX-527 as a candidate adjuvant in a recombinant BCG-based malaria vaccine

Objective:To investigate the role of CRX-527,a Toll-like receptor 4 agonist,as the possible adjuvant for recombinant Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guerin expressing merozoite surface protein 1C(BCG-MSP-1C).Methods:The mice were immunized with BCG and BCG-MSP-1C in the presence and absence of CRX-527.The untreated mice(injected with PBS-T80 only)were the negative control.The ability of CRX-527 to enhance IgG and its subclasses,as well as IL-4 and IFN-γproduction in the serum and spleen supernatant was evaluated using ELISA.Results:Mice immunized with BCG-MSP-1C exhibited the highest production of IgGs,IL-4 and IFN-γafter third immunization.In addition,CRX-527 further promoted the production of total IgG and IgG subclasses as well as IFN-γand IL-4 in the serum and splenocytes of immunized mice.Conclusions:CRX-527 has the potential as an adjuvant candidate for the candidate vaccines.Further study is needed to verify appropriate dosage for immunization and its efficacy.

Iron supplementation during malaria infection in pregnancy and childhood:A review

Malaria presents a significant global public health challenge,with severe malarial anaemia being a primary manifestation of the disease.The understanding of anaemia caused by malaria remains incomplete,making the treatment more complex.Iron is a crucial micronutrient essential for haemoglobin synthesis,oxygen delivery,and other vital metabolic functions in the body.It is indispensable for the growth of human beings,as well as bacteria,protozoa,and viruses in vitro and in vivo.Iron deficiency is among the most common nutritional deficiencies and can have detrimental effects during developmental stages of life.Malaria-induced iron deficiency occurs due to the hemolysis of erythrocytes and the suppression of erythropoiesis,leading to anaemia.Meeting iron requirements is particularly critical during pivotal life stages such as pregnancy,infancy,and childhood.Dietary intake alone may not suffice to meet adequate iron requirements,thus highlighting the vital role of iron supplementation.While iron supplementation can alleviate iron deficiency,it can exacerbate malaria infection by providing additional iron for the parasites.However,in the context of pregnancy and childhood,iron supplementation combined with malaria prevention and treatment has been shown to be beneficial in improving birth outcomes and ensuring proper growth and development,respectively.This review aims to identify the role and impact of iron supplementation in malaria infection during the life stages of pregnancy and childhood.

Navigating the future of malaria control:Insights from India's pioneering malaria slide bank

We applaud the authors for their illuminating perspective on India's malaria slide bank(MSB),featured in the recent publication in your esteemed journal[1].The article provides a comprehensive overview of the establishment,challenges,and future potential of MSBs,offering valuable insights into the complexities and opportunities inherent in this critical asset for India's malaria elimination program.

Advancing Malaria Prediction in Uganda through AI and Geospatial Analysis Models

The resurgence of locally acquired malaria cases in the USA and the persistent global challenge of malaria transmission highlight the urgent need for research to prevent this disease. Despite significant eradication efforts, malaria remains a serious threat, particularly in regions like Africa. This study explores how integrating Gregor’s Type IV theory with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) improves our understanding of disease dynamics, especially Malaria transmission patterns in Uganda. By combining data-driven algorithms, artificial intelligence, and geospatial analysis, the research aims to determine the most reliable predictors of Malaria incident rates and assess the impact of different factors on transmission. Using diverse predictive modeling techniques including Linear Regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, Neural Network, and Random Forest, the study found that;Random Forest model outperformed the others, demonstrating superior predictive accuracy with an R2 of approximately 0.88 and a Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 0.0534, Antimalarial treatment was identified as the most influential factor, with mosquito net access associated with a significant reduction in incident rates, while higher temperatures correlated with increased rates. Our study concluded that the Random Forest model was effective in predicting malaria incident rates in Uganda and highlighted the significance of climate factors and preventive measures such as mosquito nets and antimalarial drugs. We recommended that districts with malaria hotspots lacking Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) coverage prioritize its implementation to mitigate incident rates, while those with high malaria rates in 2020 require immediate attention. By advocating for the use of appropriate predictive models, our research emphasized the importance of evidence-based decision-making in malaria control strategies, aiming to reduce transmission rates and save lives.

Low Birth Weight and Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnant Women in Lomé (Togo) in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Since 2012, the World Health Organization has recommended intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) to prevent malaria-related complications in pregnant women. Ten years following these recommendations, we conducted this study to estimate the coverage for three doses of IPT-SP (IPT3) as well as the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW), and its associated factors in Lomé (Togo) in 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2021. An exhaustive recruitment of women and their newborns was carried out in the maternity wards of the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital Center. Data from antenatal consultations and clinical data of the newborns were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to determine factors associated with LBW. Results: A total of 252 mother-child pairs were included in this study. Median age of the mothers was 27 years, IQR [24-31]. More than a third (35.3%) of the mothers were primigravida. IPT3 coverage was 66.7% and 14.7% of newborns had a LBW. The prevalence of LBW was 33.3% [23.3-43.4] in women who had received fewer than 3 doses of IPT-SP and 5.4% [2.0-8.8] in those who had received at least 3 doses of IPT-SP (p Conclusion: Ten years following recommendations of the WHO on IPT-SP, malaria prevention based on IPT-SP is not optimal among pregnant women in Lomé, and the proportion of LBW children remains high. Actions to strengthen the three-dose IPT-SP policy are needed to prevent malaria and its consequences among newborns in Togo.

Towards A Malaria-Free Future Eleven African countries join hands to put an end to the deaths caused by malaria by#$%$

Malaria is a fatal disease transmitted by certain species of mosquitos,causing over 600,000 deaths annually,mainly in Africa,according to the World Health Organisation(WHO).At a ministerial conference held in Yaoundé,capital of Cameroon,representatives from 11 out of the 12 nations most severely impacted by the disease,including Ghana,Mali,Mozambique,and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,vowed to reduce malaria-related mortality by at least 90 percent compared to 2015 levels.

Malaria slide bank plays a crucial role in achieving and sustaining malaria elimination in India

India's healthcare system continues to place the highest priority on the fight against malaria[1].Malaria elimination program has received considerable attention from both the public and private sectors,resulting in a significant drop in malaria cases[2].In 2022,a total of 176000 million cases of malaria were reported in India,in which Plasmodium(P.)falciparum has contributed 57.0%and 42.3%were P.vivax cases and limited cases of P.malariae and P.ovale.

Dengue and falciparum malaria co-infection in travelers returning from Burkina Faso:Report of two cases in Northeastern Italy

Rationale: Malaria and dengue are the most prevalent vector-borne diseases in tropical countries. Plasmodium parasite and dengue virus(DENV) concurrent infection is possible and often under-recognized in geographical areas where these infections are both endemic.Patients concern and diagnosis: We describe the first two cases of Plasmodium falciparum and DENV-3 co-infection in travelers returning to northeastern Italy from Burkina Faso during 2013-2014.Interventions: Malaria infection in both patients was treated with mefloquine. Due to the persistence of symptoms despite of the antimalaria treatment, dengue was also investigated;the treatment of dengue was symptomatic.Outcomes: The patients were discharged in good general condition.Lessons: The need for surveillance of potential malaria and dengue co-infection in travelers returning to Europe from endemic areas is highlighted, as infection with Plasmodium does not exclude arboviral co-infection.

Avian malaria,haematocrit,and body condition in invasive wetland passerines settled in southwestern Spain

Avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites can negatively impact fitness in many songbirds.Research on the malaria infection and its physiological costs on their avian hosts is heavily skewed toward native passerines,with exotic species underrepresented.However,introduced species may carry on and spread new pathogens to native species,and play a role on parasite transmission cycle in invaded bird communities as pathogen reservoir.Here,we molecularly assess the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites in three introduced wetland passerines(the Red Avadavat Amandava amandava,the Yellow-crowned Bishop Euplectes afer,and the Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild)captured during the same season in southwestern Spain.We also explored the relation between parasite infection,body condition,haematocrit,and uropygial gland volume.We detected an overall parasite prevalence of 3.55%,where Common Waxbills showed higher prevalence(6.94%)than Red Avadavats(1.51%).None Yellow-crowned Bishops were infected with haemosporidians.Almost 60%of infections were caused by Leucocytozoon,and about 40%by Plasmodium.We identified four unique lineages of Plasmodium and three of Leucocytozoon.Moreover,91%of the identified host-parasite interactions represented new host records for these haemosporidian parasites.Parasite infection was not related to body condition,haematocrit,and uropygial gland volume of the wetland passerines.Haematocrit values varied seasonally among bird species.Additionally,haematocrit was positively related to body condition in the Yellow-crowned Bishops,but not in the other species.Red Avadavats had higher haematocrit levels than Yellow-crowned Bishops,whereas Common Waxbills showed the lower haematocrit values.The uropygial gland volume was positively correlated with body condition in all bird species.Common Waxbills showed higher uropygial gland volumes related to their body size than birds from other two species.These outcomes highlight the importance of exotic invasive species in the transmission dynamics of haemosporidian parasites.

R21 vaccine:A ray of hope for malaria elimination

The steady decline in malaria cases and deaths in recent years is a step ahead toward elimination;however,an increasing number of reports of antimalarial and insecticide resistance highlight the importance of having newer approaches to achieve the goal in the stipulated time frame.Therefore,having an effective and durable malaria vaccine is extremely crucial,which can complement the tools currently in use.Although the malaria vaccine development efforts initiated in the 1910’s with the first attempts to develop a malaria vaccine involved inoculating humans with live,attenuated strains of the malaria parasite but the efforts have been intensified over the previous decade,resulting in several significant developments.

Acceptance,availability and feasibility of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine:A review of literature

Malaria remains the most serious infectious disease and is one of the leading causes of death among children in malaria endemic areas.The development of malaria vaccines has been underway since 1960s.Significant progress in the development of vaccine has been made in the last decade.On 6 October 2021,World Health Organization recommended widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine.The level of acceptance of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine is relatively low in middle-income countries.This might be because of lack of information regarding vaccine implementation in such countries.The proper and efficient execution of the malaria vaccination program necessitates careful consideration of each community's socio-cultural setting.The most prominent RTS,S/AS01 vaccine trial was conducted from 2009 to 2011 in which eleven sites in seven African countries participated.Results of the trial,published in 2015,provided a promising advance in the development of a malaria vaccine for African children.As of 2019,large-scale pilot studies of the vaccine have been conducted in Ghana,Kenya,and Malawi,involving several hundreds of thousands of infants.The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine shows modest efficacy against malaria and has a feasible mode of administration.Although there is increased risk of meningitis,cerebral malaria,pneumonia,anemia,febrile convulsions and gastroenteritis,the vaccine still has a feasible mode of administration and high cost effectiveness and can be easily implemented in resource-limited settings.

Numerical Investigation of Malaria Disease Dynamics in Fuzzy Environment

The application of fuzzy theory is vital in all scientific disciplines.The construction of mathematical models with fuzziness is little studied in the literature.With this in mind and for a better understanding of the disease,an SEIR model of malaria transmission with fuzziness is examined in this study by extending a classicalmodel ofmalaria transmission.The parametersβandδ,being function of the malaria virus load,are considered fuzzy numbers.Three steady states and the reproduction number of the model are analyzed in fuzzy senses.A numerical technique is developed in a fuzzy environment to solve the studied model,which retains essential properties such as positivity and dynamic consistency.Moreover,numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the analytical results of the developed technique.Unlike most of the classical methods in the literature,the proposed approach converges unconditionally and can be considered a reliable tool for studying malaria disease dynamics.

A simple and purification-free nucleic acid extraction method for rapid diagnosis of malaria

In a point of care setting for the diagnosis of malaria,DNA extraction using conventional methods are time-consuming and complicated.Therefore,in this study we aim to utilize a simple nucleic acid extraction method to directly extract DNA from blood.This would in turn reduce the time,cost and equipment needed to perform DNA extraction.This method is then coupled with LAMP assay for rapid diagnosis of malaria.

Modeling a Novel Hyper-Parameter Tuned Deep Learning Enabled Malaria Parasite Detection and Classification

A theoretical methodology is suggested for finding the malaria parasites’presence with the help of an intelligent hyper-parameter tuned Deep Learning(DL)based malaria parasite detection and classification(HPTDL-MPDC)in the smear images of human peripheral blood.Some existing approaches fail to predict the malaria parasitic features and reduce the prediction accuracy.The trained model initiated in the proposed system for classifying peripheral blood smear images into the non-parasite or parasite classes using the available online dataset.The Adagrad optimizer is stacked with the suggested pre-trained Deep Neural Network(DNN)with the help of the contrastive divergence method to pre-train.The features are extracted from the images in the proposed system to train the DNN for initializing the visible variables.The smear images show the concatenated feature to be utilized as the feature vector in the proposed system.Lastly,hyper-parameters are used to fine-tune DNN to calculate the class labels’probability.The suggested system outperforms more modern methodologies with an accuracy of 91%,precision of 89%,recall of 93%and F1-score of 91%.The HPTDL-MPDC has the primary application in detecting the parasite of malaria in the smear images of human peripheral blood.

Transfer Learning-Based Semi-Supervised Generative Adversarial Network for Malaria Classification

Malaria is a lethal disease responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide every year.Manual methods of malaria diagnosis are timeconsuming that require a great deal of human expertise and efforts.Computerbased automated diagnosis of diseases is progressively becoming popular.Although deep learning models show high performance in the medical field,it demands a large volume of data for training which is hard to acquire for medical problems.Similarly,labeling of medical images can be done with the help of medical experts only.Several recent studies have utilized deep learning models to develop efficient malaria diagnostic system,which showed promising results.However,the most common problem with these models is that they need a large amount of data for training.This paper presents a computer-aided malaria diagnosis system that combines a semi-supervised generative adversarial network and transfer learning.The proposed model is trained in a semi-supervised manner and requires less training data than conventional deep learning models.Performance of the proposed model is evaluated on a publicly available dataset of blood smear images(with malariainfected and normal class)and achieved a classification accuracy of 96.6%.

Implication of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defence Systems in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Infection among Children Aged 1 to 15 Years in the Mount Cameroon Area

It is known that the pathogenicity of Plasmodium induces the breakdown of haemoglobin, which leads to the induction of oxidative stress. This study aimed to identify the possible effects of oxidative stress and antioxidant defence systems in symptomatic and asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in children (1 - 15 years old) in the Mount Cameroon vicinity. This cross-sectional study involved blood samples collected from 473 children and examined for malaria parasitaemia. Full blood counts were performed using an automated haemoanalyser. Serum oxidative stress status (malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and vitamin C (Vit C)) were each determined by colorimetric enzymatic assays. The prevalence of malaria parasite infection was 32.1% among the participants. Out of that, 62.5% of patients with parasitaemia were symptomatic. Anaemia prevalence increased significantly with parasite density. MDA levels were significantly higher in patients with malaria symptoms than in those without symptoms. A significant and positive correlation was detected between MDA (r = 0.831, P < 0.05), NO (r = 0.779, P < 0.05), and malaria parasite density while, a significant and negative relationship occurred between parasite density and GSH (r = ?0.763, P < 0.05) and Vit C (r = ?0.826, P < 0.05) levels, SOD (r = ?0.621, P < 0.05) and CAT (r = ?0.817, P < 0.05) activities. The SOD activity and GSH level significantly decreased (P < 0.05) with an increase in the MDA levels. These findings showed that MDA and nitric oxide levels increased both in malaria participants with or without symptoms. A similar decrease in the antioxidant defence system was observed in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Therefore, there is a need to develop public health policies that encourage routine diagnosis and treatment of malaria in seemingly healthy people (asymptomatic cases), and this will play an essential role in controlling malaria in tropical countries.

Malaria Illness and Accessing Healthcare in an African Indigenous Population: A Qualitative Study of the Lived Experiences of Uganda’s Batwa in Kanungu District

Purpose: Malaria continues to be a public health threat, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, including Uganda. While Batwa Indigenous People (IPs) face a higher burden of malaria, there is limited understanding of their malaria-lived experiences. We assessed and characterized malaria illness and accessing healthcare lived experiences of the Batwa in Kanungu district to inform contextually and culturally appropriate public health interventions. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 5 Batwa settlements where 5 Focus Group Discussions (n = 36) and 13 Key Informant Interviews (n = 13) were held. Data were collected using printed guides and voice recorders in April 2018. Transcripts from the data that captured the lived experiences of the symptoms, prevention, treatment and barriers to accessing formal healthcare services were applied to Atlas.ti a qualitative data analysis software and condensed into codes, categories, and themes. Results: Many Batwa have experienced malaria in their households, and they know its causes and risk factors, like not sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), living near water bodies, prevention measures like the use of ITNs, and vector management. The lived experiences demonstrate malaria management by an Indigenous population in a rural setting and comprised detecting malaria symptoms, use of herbs as first line of treatment, buying medicines from drug shops, and village health teams (VHTs) treatment. For many Batwa accessing formal healthcare is normally a second option. Barriers for malaria treatment included: long distances to health facilities, geographically difficult terrain, economic constraints, irregular health outreaches, and stockouts of malaria medicines at health facilities. Conclusion: This study characterized Batwa’s malaria illness lived experiences and access to healthcare in rural remote settings. These experiences are essential in appreciating the ways in which Indigenous populations understand and manage common illnesses and how appropriate policies and interventions can be developed.

Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) Formulation of Quinine Sulphate-Doxycycline (Qidox) for Malaria Therapy

Background: One of the deadliest parasite infections is malaria. A combination of quinine sulphate and doxycycline is another therapeutic option for malaria that is resistant to chloroquine and is anticipated to be able to both combat the issue of anti-malarial medication resistance as well as the compliance to malaria therapy that is still raging in certain locations of Indonesia. Aim: This study will focus on evaluating the possibility of interaction between quinine sulphate and doxycycline followed by formulating the fixed-dose combination of both active pharmaceutical ingredients. Method: The study was designed as a laboratory experiment and applied some examinations. The examination from the organoleptic test of active pharmaceutical ingredients powder, crystallography analysis, and physical analysis of fixed-dose tablet including hardness, friability, and disintegration time testing. Result: The crystallography study reported there was no physical interaction found between quinine sulphate and doxycycline. The formula found excellent tablet printability with a composition of Quinine sulphate and doxycycline (Qidox). Conclusion: quinine sulphate with doxycycline can be combined into one tablet as Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC).

Impact of COVID-19 on Biological Diagnosis of Malaria: Case of the Thierno Mouhamadoul Mansour Barro Hospital in Mbour, Senegal

Background: In Africa, malaria-endemic regions have not been spared from COVID-19 outbreak which emerged in the first quarter of 2020. This pandemic has shown clinical and therapeutic similarities with malaria. This following study sought to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the malaria diagnosis. Method: A review of laboratory registers and an exploitation of the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) to collect information on the diagnosis of malaria by microscopy and by rapid diagnostic test (RDT), but also that of COVID-19 was done from 2017 to 2021 at the Thierno Mouhamadoul Mansour Hospital in Mbour, Senegal. Results: In 2017, 199 Thick drops (TDs) and 1852 RDTs were performed for malaria diagnosis. In 2018, it was 2352 malaria tests with 2138 RDTs and 214 TDs, before reaching a peak of 3943 tests in 2019 including 3742 RDTs and 201 TDs. By 2020, 2263 tests were performed with 2097 malaria RDTs, 158 TDs and 8 COVID RDTs. The latter increased significantly in 2021, reaching 444 COVID RDTs, while TDs and malaria RDT kept decreasing to 147 and 1036 respectively. Positive TDs were higher in 2020 (11.4%) compared to 2017 (3.5%), 2018 (1.4%), 2019 (6.5%) and 2021 (6.8%). For malaria RDTs, a decrease in the number of positive tests was noted between 2017 (4.5%) and 2021 (1.3%). The COVID RDTs were all negative in 2020, 29.5% were positive and 4.1% were undetermined in 2021. Conclusion: COVID-19 has led to changes in efforts to diagnose malaria as well as an increase in malaria prevalence directed towards children under 5 years of age.