%0 Journal Article
%9 ACL : Articles dans des revues avec comité de lecture répertoriées par l'AERES
%A Nkoghe, D.
%A Akue, J. P.
%A Gonzalez, Jean-Paul
%A Leroy, Eric
%T Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in asymptomatic rural Gabonese populations
%D 2011
%L fdi:010053421
%G ENG
%J Malaria Journal
%@ 1475-2875
%M ISI:000288812900001
%P 33
%R 10.1186/1475-2875-10-33
%U https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053421
%> https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers17-09/010053421.pdf
%V 10
%W Horizon (IRD)
%X Background: Malaria may be perennial or epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, and its transmission may be stable or unstable, depending on the region. The prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum carriage is poorly documented in Gabon. A large survey of P. falciparum infection was conducted in asymptomatic individuals living in rural Gabon. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-two villages were randomly selected in the nine administrative regions. With the participants' informed consent, blood samples were collected for thick and thin blood film examination after 20% Giemsa staining. Prevalence rates were calculated per village, per region and per ecosystem, and nationwide. Demographic risk factors were identified with STATA software version 9.0. Significance was assumed at p < 0.05. Results and discussion: The prevalence of P. falciparum in adults was 6.2% (269/4342) nationwide, with a maximum of 37.2% in one village; a linear decrease was observed with increasing age (p = 0.045). Only 5% of the 399 children from forest areas tested positive. The prevalence was significantly higher in forest areas (7%) than in savannah (4%) and lakeland (2.5%). Within the forest region, the prevalence was significantly higher in forest grassland (10.9%) than in the mountain forest (3.5%), interior forest (6.8%) and north-eastern forest (4.5%). Conclusion: Plasmodium falciparum carriage remains high among adults in rural Gabon. Control measures must be adapted to the region and ecosystem. Routine treatment of asymptomatic individuals should be considered.
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