Congenital malaria and treatment

We present the case of imported malaria in pregnancy to the United Kingdom (UK) from Nigeria, where a 28-year-old primigravida presented to our maternity assessment unit (MAU) with complaints of pyrexia, rigors and passing dark coloured urine. She gave a travel history of recent migration from Nigeria 10 days before presenting to our emergency department. She initially became unwell five days after her arrival with general malaise and myalgia. On day six, she developed lower abdominal pain and observed that her urine was dark in colour...

BACKGROUND: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the leading cyanotic congenital heart disease. We commenced open-heart surgery at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Nigeria in 2016. OBJECTIVES: To review the incidence, pattern, management and treatment outcomes of TOF at the OAUTHC. METHODS: A retrospective audit was undertaken of hospital records, including echocardiograms of patients with TOF seen from January 2016 to February 2020 at the Paediatric Cardiology Unit, OAUTHC...

BACKGROUND: Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is recommended by the World Health Organization for the prevention of malaria in pregnancy (MIP)-associated adverse outcomes in high burden areas. However, the efficacy of IPTp-SP has decreased in step with increasing parasite drug resistance. Suitable alternative strategies are needed. METHODS: This is a protocol for a phase IIIb open-label, two-armed randomized controlled superiority trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a hybrid approach to IPTp combining screening and treatment with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) to the current IPTp-SP regimen at the first antenatal care clinic visit...

Introduction: Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are currently used for the prevention/treatment of malaria, and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although present data do not show their efficacy to treat COVID-19, they have been used as potential treatments for COVID-19. Given that pregnant women are excluded from randomized controlled trials, and present evidence are inconsistent and inconclusive, we aimed to investigate the safety of CQ or HCQ use in a large pregnancy cohort using real-world evidence...

The aspartic proteases plasmepsin IX/X are important antimalarial drug targets due to their specificity to the malaria parasite and their vital role as mediators of disease progression. Focusing on parasite-specific targets where no human homologue exists reduces the possibility of on-target drug toxicity. However, there is a risk of toxicity driven by inadequate selectivity for plasmepsins IX/X in Plasmodium over related mammalian aspartic proteases. Of these, CatD/E may be of most toxicological relevance as CatD is a ubiquitous lysosomal enzyme present in most cell types and CatE is found in the gut and in erythrocytes, the clinically significant site of malarial infection...

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Malaria in humans is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. These parasites are transmitted by the bite of an infective female Anopheles species mosquito. The majority of malaria infections in the United States occur among persons who have traveled to regions with ongoing malaria transmission. However, malaria is occasionally acquired by persons who have not traveled out of the country through exposure to infected blood products, congenital transmission, nosocomial exposure, or local mosquitoborne transmission...

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii is usually an asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic, self-limiting disease in immunocompetent individuals. However, during the pregnancy, primary infection can lead to transplacental vertical transmission resulting in congenital toxoplasmosis with possible severe sequelae. The efficacy of systematic screening remains controversial and the effect of antibiotic treatment is unclear. Although main side effects of antibiotic drugs used for toxoplasmosis are well known, mostly from malaria treatment, there is a lack of information about occurrence in pregnant woman treated for toxoplasmosis...

Introdution: Congenital malaria (CM) is a Plasmodium spp infection acquired in utero or during delivery with nonspecific clinical manifestations. Plasmodium falciparum can cause severe illness in pregnant wo men and newborns. OBJECTIVE: to describe two cases of CM caused by Plasmodium falciparum, di fferential diagnosis of sepsis in newborns of pregnant women who live in or have visited endemic malaria zones. CLINICAL CASES: Female neonates born in a non-endemic malaria area, diagnosed with neonatal sepsis and treated with antibiotics without clinical response...

BACKGROUND: Congenital malaria is a serious and common infection in tropical Africa. It has multiple consequences on the newborn and the mother. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to calculate the prevalence of congenital malaria, describe its clinical signs, and analyze its associated factors. Methodology . It is a cross-sectional and prospective study, conducted at Issaka Gazobi Maternity of Niamey, from June 1 to November 30, 2017. The diagnosis was made by microscopy of a thick and thin blood smear of mother, newborn, and umbilical cord...

BACKGROUND: In order to attain the objectives set out in the global technical strategy against malaria 2016-2030, it is important to have accurate epidemiological data on malaria in all age categories, including those which are often neglected because of an apparent low burden of disease. The current systematic review with meta-analysis synthesizes the epidemiology of clinical congenital and neonatal malaria in endemic areas. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Global Index Medicus, and Web of Science were searched up to 30th October 2019, to identify observational studies reporting on congenital (0-7 days) and neonatal (0-28 days) malaria...

Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as first line treatment for uncomplicated malaria both in adults and children. During pregnancy, ACT is considered safe only in the second and third trimester, since animal studies have demonstrated that artemisinin derivatives can cause foetal death and congenital malformation within a narrow time window in early embryogenesis. During this period, artemisinin derivatives induce defective embryonic erythropoiesis and vasculogenesis/angiogenesis in experimental models...

We report in this manuscript a case of newborn baby with asymptomatic form of congenital malaria; the screening of the peripheral blood smear of the baby after a positive result in the mother allowed the diagnosis. The authors were permitted through this case to discuss the therapeutic possibility in these cases.

Background: Gestational malaria is a major public health problem. It produces fetal complications such as low birth weight, perinatal mortality, and congenital malaria. The present study is aimed at determining the prevalence of congenital malaria and its neonatal complications in the city of Kisangani. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Kisangani from 1 January to 30 September 2018. Our study population was composed of 1248 newborns born in our study sites, during the period of our study...

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis caused by the obligate intracellular coccidian protozoan T oxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ) infects all warm-blooded animals including humans. This parasite may develop in both immune-compromised and immunocompetent hosts but usually the disease manifestations strongly differ according to immune status. Immunocompromised hosts develop more severe disease than immunocompetent hosts. Infections in pregnancy carry the risk of foetal involvement and can lead to serious clinical outcomes including psychomotor and ocular disorders in congenitally infected foetuses and children...

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Malaria in humans is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. These parasites are transmitted by the bite of an infective female Anopheles species mosquito. The majority of malaria infections in the United States occur among persons who have traveled to regions with ongoing malaria transmission. However, malaria is occasionally acquired by persons who have not traveled out of the country through exposure to infected blood products, congenital transmission, laboratory exposure, or local mosquitoborne transmission...

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of treating uncomplicated malaria during the second and third trimester of pregnancy with an artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has already been implemented by all sub-Saharan African countries. However, there is limited knowledge on the effect of ACT on pregnancy outcomes, and on newborn and infant's health. METHODS: Pregnant women with malaria in four countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi and Zambia) were treated with either artemether-lumefantrine (AL), amodiaquine-artesunate (ASAQ), mefloquine-artesunate (MQAS), or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PQ); 3127 live new-borns (822 in the AL, 775 in the ASAQ, 765 in the MQAS and 765 in the DHAPQ arms) were followed-up until their first birthday...

Toxoplasma gondii infection can cause abortions or congenital infection for a vast number of domestic animals and humans, leading to economic loss in veterinary sciences, as well as severe consequences for immunocompromised patients. Bidens pilosa Linné has been used in ethnopharmacology for treatment of diseases, as malaria, diabetes and hepatitis, in addition to its use as antioxidant, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral. The components of this plant have never been studied before for treatment of toxoplasmosis, and the conventional drugs currently used to treat this disease have high degree of toxicity...

Birth defects are important causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. A good understanding of the etiology is a vital step toward developing improved treatment and preventive strategies. We conducted an audit of medical records of newborns with birth abnormalities in a tertiary hospital over a 10-year period, using a Pro forma designed to collect information on obstetric history, antenatal history, sociodemographics of parents, and the type of birth abnormality. Of the 180 medical records reviewed, female babies were 92 (51...

Malaria infection during pregnancy is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that gestational and congenital malaria can be prevented by using intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP). IPTp-SP is a full therapeutic course of antimalarial medicine administered during pregnancy as a component of antenatal care. This study's objective was to assess the prevalence and predictors of IPTp-SP uptake in pregnancy in Sierra Leone...

BACKGROUND: Malaria infection poses a significant risk in pregnancy, yet chemoprophylaxis for pregnant women is limited. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the incidence of adverse outcomes after atovaquone-proguanil (AP) exposure during pregnancy. METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, the authors searched PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Malaria in Pregnancy Consortium Library to identify relevant literature including infant outcomes after exposure to atovaquone, proguanil, or AP in pregnancy...