The ability of Interleukin-10 to negate haemozoin-related pro-inflammatory effects has the potential to restore impaired macrophage function associated with malaria infection.

BACKGROUND: Although pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in the clearance of Plasmodium falciparum during the early stages of the infection, increased levels of these cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. Amongst various parasite-derived inducers of inflammation, the malarial pigment haemozoin (Hz), which accumulates in monocytes, macrophages and other immune cells during infection, has been shown to significantly contribute to dysregulation of the normal inflammatory cascades. METHODS: The direct effect of Hz-loading on cytokine production by monocytes and the indirect effect of Hz on cytokine production by myeloid cells was investigated during acute malaria and convalescence using archived plasma samples from studies investigating P. falciparum malaria pathogenesis in Malawian subjects. Further, the possible inhibitory effect of IL-10 on Hz-loaded cells was examined, and the proportion of cytokine-producing T-cells and monocytes during acute malaria and in convalescence was characterized. RESULTS: Hz contributed towards an increase in the production of inflammatory cytokines, such as Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Interleukin 2 (IL-2) by various cells. In contrast, the cytokine IL-10 was observed to have a dose-dependent suppressive effect on the production of TNF among other cytokines. Cerebral malaria (CM) was characterized by impaired monocyte functions, which normalized in convalescence. CM was also characterized by reduced levels of IFN-γ-producing T cell subsets, and reduced expression of immune recognition receptors HLA-DR and CD 86, which also normalized in convalescence. However, CM and other clinical malaria groups were characterized by significantly higher plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines than healthy controls, implicating anti-inflammatory cytokines in balancing the immune response. CONCLUSIONS: Acute CM was characterized by elevated plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines but lower proportions of cytokine-producing T-cells and monocytes that normalize during convalescence. IL-10 is also shown to have the potential to indirectly prevent excessive inflammation. Cytokine production dysregulated by the accumulation of Hz appears to impair the balance of the immune response to malaria and exacerbates pathology.

How Does Blood-Retinal Barrier Breakdown Relate to Death and Disability in Pediatric Cerebral Malaria?

BACKGROUND: In cerebral malaria, the retina can be used to understand disease pathogenesis. The mechanisms linking sequestration, brain swelling, and death remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that retinal vascular leakage would be associated with brain swelling. METHODS: We used retinal angiography to study blood-retinal barrier integrity. We analyzed retinal leakage, histopathology, brain magnatic resonance imaging (MRI), and associations with death and neurological disability in prospective cohorts of Malawian children with cerebral malaria. RESULTS: Three types of retinal leakage were seen: large focal leak (LFL), punctate leak (PL), and vessel leak. The LFL and PL were associated with death (odds ratio [OR] = 13.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.21-33.78 and OR = 8.58, 95% CI = 2.56-29.08, respectively) and brain swelling (P < .05). Vessel leak and macular nonperfusion were associated with neurological disability (OR = 3.71, 95% CI = 1.26-11.02 and OR = 9.06, 95% CI = 1.79-45.90). Large focal leak was observed as an evolving retinal hemorrhage. A core of fibrinogen and monocytes was found in 39 (93%) white-centered hemorrhages. CONCLUSIONS: Blood-retina barrier breakdown occurs in 3 patterns in cerebral malaria. Associations between LFL, brain swelling, and death suggest that the rapid accumulation of cerebral hemorrhages, with accompanying fluid egress, may cause fatal brain swelling. Vessel leak, from barrier dysfunction, and nonperfusion were not associated with severe brain swelling but with neurological deficits, suggesting hypoxic injury in survivors.

Brain swelling and death in children with cerebral malaria.

BACKGROUND: Case fatality rates among African children with cerebral malaria remain in the range of 15 to 25%. The key pathogenetic processes and causes of death are unknown, but a combination of clinical observations and pathological findings suggests that increased brain volume leading to raised intracranial pressure may play a role. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) became available in Malawi in 2009, and we used it to investigate the role of brain swelling in the pathogenesis of fatal cerebral malaria in African children. METHODS: We enrolled children who met a stringent definition of cerebral malaria (one that included the presence of retinopathy), characterized them in detail clinically, and obtained MRI scans on admission and daily thereafter while coma persisted. RESULTS: Of 348 children admitted with cerebral malaria (as defined by the World Health Organization), 168 met the inclusion criteria, underwent all investigations, and were included in the analysis. A total of 25 children (15%) died, 21 of whom (84%) had evidence of severe brain swelling on MRI at admission. In contrast, evidence of severe brain swelling was seen on MRI in 39 of 143 survivors (27%). Serial MRI scans showed evidence of decreasing brain volume in the survivors who had had brain swelling initially. CONCLUSIONS: Increased brain volume was seen in children who died from cerebral malaria but was uncommon in those who did not die from the disease, a finding that suggests that raised intracranial pressure may contribute to a fatal outcome. The natural history indicates that increased intracranial pressure is transient in survivors. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and Wellcome Trust U.K.).

Single low-dose primaquine for blocking transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria - a proposed model-derived age-based regimen for sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: In 2012, the World Health Organization recommended blocking the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum with single low-dose primaquine (SLDPQ, target dose 0.25 mg base/kg body weight), without testing for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd), when treating patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. We sought to develop an age-based SLDPQ regimen that would be suitable for sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: Using data on the anti-infectivity efficacy and tolerability of primaquine (PQ), the epidemiology of anaemia, and the risks of PQ-induced acute haemolytic anaemia (AHA) and clinically significant anaemia (CSA), we prospectively defined therapeutic-dose ranges of 0.15-0.4 mg PQ base/kg for children aged 1-5 years and 0.15-0.5 mg PQ base/kg for individuals aged ≥6 years (therapeutic indices 2.7 and 3.3, respectively). We chose 1.25 mg PQ base for infants aged 6-11 months because they have the highest rate of baseline anaemia and the highest risks of AHA and CSA. We modelled an anthropometric database of 661,979 African individuals aged ≥6 months (549,127 healthy individuals, 28,466 malaria patients and 84,386 individuals with other infections/illnesses) by the Box-Cox transformation power exponential and tested PQ doses of 1-15 mg base, selecting dosing groups based on calculated mg/kg PQ doses. RESULTS: From the Box-Cox transformation power exponential model, five age categories were selected: (i) 6-11 months (n = 39,886, 6.03%), (ii) 1-5 years (n = 261,036, 45.46%), (iii) 6-9 years (n = 20,770, 3.14%), (iv) 10-14 years (n = 12,155, 1.84%) and (v) ≥15 years (n = 328,132, 49.57%) to receive 1.25, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 15 mg PQ base for corresponding median (1st and 99th centiles) mg/kg PQ base of: (i) 0.16 (0.12-0.25), (ii) 0.21 (0.13-0.37), (iii) 0.25 (0.16-0.38), (iv) 0.26 (0.15-0.38) and (v) 0.27 (0.17-0.40). The proportions of individuals predicted to receive optimal therapeutic PQ doses were: 73.2 (29,180/39,886), 93.7 (244,537/261,036), 99.6 (20,690/20,770), 99.4 (12,086/12,155) and 99.8% (327,620/328,132), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We plan to test the safety of this age-based dosing regimen in a large randomised placebo-controlled trial (ISRCTN11594437) of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in G6PDd African children aged 0.5 - 11 years. If the regimen is safe and demonstrates adequate pharmacokinetics, it should be used to support malaria elimination.

Evidence for spleen dysfunction in malaria-HIV co-infection in a subset of pediatric patients.

The spleen has an important role in the clearance of malaria parasites, and the role of HIV co-infection on this process is yet to be described. Using a combination of histological and molecular methods, we systematically evaluated parasite load across multiple organs from HIV-positive and HIV-negative cases of an autopsy study of pediatric comatose children with malaria infection (n=103) in Blantyre, Malawi. Quantification of parasite load across organs was done using histology. A subset of cases was further characterized for parasite localization and stage of development using immunohistochemistry-based labeling of parasite and host cells (5 HIV-positive, 10 HIV-negative), and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) of asexual and sexual-specific genes (4 HIV-positive, 5 HIV-negative). The results were compared with clinical information including HIV status. The HIV-positive rate was 21% for the group studied (20 of 95) and HIV-positive patients had a significantly shorter duration of time between onset of illness and death, and were significantly older than HIV-negative patients. We found that spleens of HIV-positive cases had significantly higher parasite loads compared with those of HIV-negative cases in each of the three methods we used: (i) standard histology, (ii) immunohistochemistry-based labeling of Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH), and (iii) molecular detection of asexual parasite transcript apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1). Immunohistochemistry-based labeling of macrophage marker CD163 in a subset of spleens revealed fewer activated macrophages containing engulfed parasites and a greater number of free unphagocytosed parasites in the HIV-positive cases. The mechanism by which HIV infection is associated with more rapid progression to severe cerebral malaria disease is possibly impairment of parasite destruction by splenic macrophages, supported by published in vitro studies showing inefficient phagocytosis of malaria parasites by HIV-infected macrophages.

Differential PfEMP1 expression is associated with cerebral malaria pathology.

Plasmodium falciparum is unique among human malarias in its ability to sequester in post-capillary venules of host organs. The main variant antigens implicated are the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), which can be divided into three major groups (A-C). Our study was a unique examination of sequestered populations of parasites for genetic background and expression of PfEMP1 groups. We collected post-mortem tissue from twenty paediatric hosts with pathologically different forms of cerebral malaria (CM1 and CM2) and parasitaemic controls (PC) to directly examine sequestered populations of parasites in the brain, heart and gut. Use of two different techniques to investigate this question produced divergent results. By quantitative PCR, group A var genes were upregulated in all three organs of CM2 and PC cases. In contrast, in CM1 infections displaying high levels of sequestration but negligible vascular pathology, there was high expression of group B var. Cloning and sequencing of var transcript tags from the same samples indicated a uniformly low expression of group A-like var. Generally, within an organ sample, 1-2 sequences were expressed at dominant levels. 23% of var tags were detected in multiple patients despite the P. falciparum infections being genetically distinct, and two tags were observed in up to seven hosts each with high expression in the brains of 3-4 patients. This study is a novel examination of the sequestered parasites responsible for fatal cerebral malaria and describes expression patterns of the major cytoadherence ligand in three organ-derived populations and three pathological states.

Imputation-based meta-analysis of severe malaria in three African populations.

Combining data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted at different locations, using genotype imputation and fixed-effects meta-analysis, has been a powerful approach for dissecting complex disease genetics in populations of European ancestry. Here we investigate the feasibility of applying the same approach in Africa, where genetic diversity, both within and between populations, is far more extensive. We analyse genome-wide data from approximately 5,000 individuals with severe malaria and 7,000 population controls from three different locations in Africa. Our results show that the standard approach is well powered to detect known malaria susceptibility loci when sample sizes are large, and that modern methods for association analysis can control the potential confounding effects of population structure. We show that pattern of association around the haemoglobin S allele differs substantially across populations due to differences in haplotype structure. Motivated by these observations we consider new approaches to association analysis that might prove valuable for multicentre GWAS in Africa: we relax the assumptions of SNP-based fixed effect analysis; we apply Bayesian approaches to allow for heterogeneity in the effect of an allele on risk across studies; and we introduce a region-based test to allow for heterogeneity in the location of causal alleles.

Quantitative Assessment of Multiorgan Sequestration of Parasites in Fatal Pediatric Cerebral Malaria.

Children in sub-Saharan Africa continue to acquire and die from cerebral malaria, despite efforts to control or eliminate the causative agent, Plasmodium falciparum. We present a quantitative histopathological assessment of the sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes in multiple organs obtained during a prospective series of 103 autopsies performed between 1996 and 2010 in Blantyre, Malawi, on pediatric patients who died from cerebral malaria and controls. After the brain, sequestration of parasites was most intense in the gastrointestinal tract, both in patients with cerebral malaria and those with parasitemia in other organs. Within cases of histologically defined cerebral malaria, which includes phenotypes termed "sequestration only" (CM1) and "sequestration with extravascular pathology" (CM2), CM1 was associated with large parasite numbers in the spleen and CM2 with intense parasite sequestration in the skin. A striking histological finding overall was the marked sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes across most organs in patients with fatal cerebral malaria, supporting the hypothesis that the disease is, in part, a result of a high level of total-body parasite sequestration.

Severity of retinopathy parallels the degree of parasite sequestration in the eyes and brains of malawian children with fatal cerebral malaria.

BACKGROUND: Malarial retinopathy (MR) has diagnostic and prognostic value in children with Plasmodium falciparum cerebral malaria (CM). A clinicopathological correlation between observed retinal changes during life and the degree of sequestration of parasitized red blood cells was investigated in ocular and cerebral vessels at autopsy. METHODS: In 18 Malawian children who died from clinically defined CM, we studied the intensity of sequestration and the maturity of sequestered parasites in the retina, in nonretinal ocular tissues, and in the brain. RESULTS: Five children with clinically defined CM during life had other causes of death identified at autopsy, no MR, and scanty intracerebral sequestration. Thirteen children had MR and died from CM. MR severity correlated with percentage of microvessels parasitized in the retina, brain, and nonretinal tissues with some neuroectodermal components (all P < .01). In moderate/severe MR cases (n = 8), vascular congestion was more intense (ρ = 0.841; P < .001), sequestered parasites were more mature, and the quantity of extraerythrocytic hemozoin was higher, compared with mild MR cases (n = 5). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide a histopathological basis for the known correlation between degrees of retinopathy and cerebral dysfunction in CM. In addition to being a valuable tool for clinical diagnosis, retinal observations give important information about neurovascular pathophysiology in pediatric CM.

Plasmodium falciparum malaria elicits inflammatory responses that dysregulate placental amino acid transport.

Placental malaria (PM) can lead to poor neonatal outcomes, including low birthweight due to fetal growth restriction (FGR), especially when associated with local inflammation (intervillositis or IV). The pathogenesis of PM-associated FGR is largely unknown, but in idiopathic FGR, impaired transplacental amino acid transport, especially through the system A group of amino acid transporters, has been implicated. We hypothesized that PM-associated FGR could result from impairment of transplacental amino acid transport triggered by IV. In a cohort of Malawian women and their infants, the expression and activity of system A (measured by Na⁺-dependent ¹4C-MeAIB uptake) were reduced in PM, especially when associated with IV, compared to uninfected placentas. In an in vitro model of PM with IV, placental cells exposed to monocyte/infected erythrocytes conditioned medium showed decreased system A activity. Amino acid concentrations analyzed by reversed phase ultra performance liquid chromatography in paired maternal and cord plasmas revealed specific alterations of amino acid transport by PM, especially with IV. Overall, our data suggest that the fetoplacental unit responds to PM by altering its placental amino acid transport to maintain adequate fetal growth. However, IV more profoundly compromises placental amino acid transport function, leading to FGR. Our study offers the first pathogenetic explanation for FGR in PM.

Loss of endothelial protein C receptors links coagulation and inflammation to parasite sequestration in cerebral malaria in African children.

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a major cause of mortality in African children and the mechanisms underlying its development, namely how malaria-infected erythrocytes (IEs) cause disease and why the brain is preferentially affected, remain unclear. Brain microhemorrhages in CM suggest a clotting disorder, but whether this phenomenon is important in pathogenesis is debated. We hypothesized that localized cerebral microvascular thrombosis in CM is caused by a decreased expression of the anticoagulant and protective receptors thrombomodulin (TM) and endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) and that low constitutive expression of these regulatory molecules in the brain make it particularly vulnerable. Autopsies from Malawian children with CM showed cerebral fibrin clots and loss of EPCR, colocalized with sequestered IEs. Using a novel assay to examine endothelial phenotype ex vivo using subcutaneous microvessels, we demonstrated that loss of EPCR and TM at sites of IE cytoadherence is detectible in nonfatal CM. In contrast, although clotting factor activation was seen in the blood of CM patients, this was compensated and did not disseminate. Because of the pleiotropic nature of EPCR and TM, these data implicate disruption of the endothelial protective properties at vulnerable sites and particularly in the brain, linking coagulation and inflammation with IE sequestration.

Grading fluorescein angiograms in malarial retinopathy.

BACKGROUND: Malarial retinopathy is an important finding in Plasmodium falciparum cerebral malaria, since it strengthens diagnostic accuracy, predicts clinical outcome and appears to parallel cerebral disease processes. Several angiographic features of malarial retinopathy have been described, but observations in different populations can only be reliably compared if consistent methodology is used to capture and grade retinal images. Currently no grading scheme exists for fluorescein angiographic features of malarial retinopathy. METHODS: A grading scheme for fluorescein angiographic images was devised based on consensus opinion of clinicians and researchers experienced in malarial retinopathy in children and adults. Dual grading were performed with adjudication of admission fluorescein images from a large cohort of children with cerebral malaria. RESULTS: A grading scheme is described and standard images are provided to facilitate future grading studies. Inter-grader agreement was >70 % for most variables. Intravascular filling defects are difficult to grade and tended to have lower inter-grader agreement (>57 %) compared to other features. CONCLUSIONS: This grading scheme provides a consistent way to describe retinal vascular damage in paediatric cerebral malaria, and can facilitate comparisons of angiographic features of malarial retinopathy between different patient groups, and analysis against clinical outcomes. Inter-grader agreement is reasonable for the majority of angiographic signs. Dual grading with expert adjudication should be used to maximize accuracy.

Cerebral malaria in children: using the retina to study the brain.

Cerebral malaria is a dangerous complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection, which takes a devastating toll on children in sub-Saharan Africa. Although autopsy studies have improved understanding of cerebral malaria pathology in fatal cases, information about in vivo neurovascular pathogenesis is scarce because brain tissue is inaccessible in life. Surrogate markers may provide insight into pathogenesis and thereby facilitate clinical studies with the ultimate aim of improving the treatment and prognosis of cerebral malaria. The retina is an attractive source of potential surrogate markers for paediatric cerebral malaria because, in this condition, the retina seems to sustain microvascular damage similar to that of the brain. In paediatric cerebral malaria a combination of retinal signs correlates, in fatal cases, with the severity of brain pathology, and has diagnostic and prognostic significance. Unlike the brain, the retina is accessible to high-resolution, non-invasive imaging. We aimed to determine the extent to which paediatric malarial retinopathy reflects cerebrovascular damage by reviewing the literature to compare retinal and cerebral manifestations of retinopathy-positive paediatric cerebral malaria. We then compared retina and brain in terms of anatomical and physiological features that could help to account for similarities and differences in vascular pathology. These comparisons address the question of whether it is biologically plausible to draw conclusions about unseen cerebral vascular pathogenesis from the visible retinal vasculature in retinopathy-positive paediatric cerebral malaria. Our work addresses an important cause of death and neurodisability in sub-Saharan Africa. We critically appraise evidence for associations between retina and brain neurovasculature in health and disease, and in the process we develop new hypotheses about why these vascular beds are susceptible to sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes.

HIV-1 infection and antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum in adults.

BACKGROUND: Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may increase susceptibility to malaria by compromising naturally acquired immunity. METHODS: In 339 adults (64% HIV infected), we measured antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum variant surface antigens (VSA) and antibodies that opsonise infected erythrocytes using parasite lines FCR3, E8B, and R29, and antibodies to merozoite antigens AMA-1 and MSP2. We determined the relationship between malaria antibodies, HIV infection, markers of immune compromise, and risk of incident parasitemia. RESULTS: HIV-infected adults had significantly lower mean levels of opsonizing antibody to all parasite lines (P < .0001), and lower levels of antibody to AMA-1 (P = .01) and MSP2 (P < .0001). Levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) to VSA were not affected by HIV status. Opsonising antibody titres against some isolates were positively correlated with CD4 count. There were negative associations between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral load and opsonizing antibodies to FCR3 (P = .04), and levels of IgG to AMA-1 (P ≤ .03) and MSP2-3D7 (P = .05). Lower opsonizing antibody levels on enrollment were seen in those who became parasitemic during follow-up, independent of HIV infection (P ≤ .04 for each line). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-1 infection decreases opsonizing antibodies to VSA, and antibody to merozoite antigens. Opsonizing antibodies were associated with lack of parasitemia during follow up, suggesting a role in protection.

Decreasing malaria prevalence and its potential consequences for immunity in pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: As malaria control is intensified, pregnant women may be less exposed to malaria, thus affecting the acquisition of protective antibody. METHODS: Plasma samples were collected from Malawian and Papua New Guinean (PNG) pregnant women enrolled over 7-year periods, during which malaria prevalence fell by over two thirds. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels to schizont extract, merozoite antigens, and VAR2CSA-DBL5ε were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of IgG to variant surface antigens of infected erythrocytes (IEs) and merozoites and levels of opsonizing IgG to IEs were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: In both settings, levels of antibodies in pregnant women to recombinant antigens and to intact IEs but not of opsonizing antibodies decreased over time. After adjustment for coverage with insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), these differences disappeared in the Malawian cohort, whereas in the PNG cohort, time was independently associated with a decrease in several antibody responses measured by ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of falling parasite prevalence on anti-Plasmodium falciparum serological indicators in pregnant women varies by setting. Increased ITN coverage may affect development of antibodies to recombinant antigens, but levels of opsonizing IgG remained stable over time. Opsonizing IgG against placental-binding IEs may persist, thus offering longer-lasting protection against malaria during pregnancy.

Persistent endothelial activation and inflammation after Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Malawian children.

Endothelial dysregulation is central to the pathogenesis of acute Plasmodium falciparum infection. It has been assumed that this dysregulation resolves rapidly after treatment, but this return to normality has been neither demonstrated nor quantified. We therefore measured a panel of plasma endothelial markers acutely and in convalescence in Malawian children with uncomplicated or cerebral malaria. Evidence of persistent endothelial activation and inflammation, indicated by increased plasma levels of soluble intracellular adhesion molecule 1, angiopoetin 2, and C-reactive protein, were observed at 1 month follow-up visits. These vascular changes may represent a previously unrecognized contributor to ongoing malaria-associated morbidity and mortality.

Bacterial meningitis in Malawian adults, adolescents, and children during the era of antiretroviral scale-up and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccination, 2000-2012.

BACKGROUND: We documented bacterial meningitis trends among adults and children presenting to a large teaching hospital in Malawi during introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccination and the rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: We analyzed data from 51 000 consecutive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples obtained from adults, adolescents, and children with suspected meningitis admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi, between 2000 and 2012. RESULTS: There was a significant decline in the total number of CSF isolates over 12 years (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.93; 95% CI, .92-.94; P < .001). This decline was entirely in children aged <5 years (IRR, 0.87; 95% CI, .85-.88; P < .001) and coincided with the introduction of Hib vaccination. The number of adult isolates has remained unchanged (IRR, 0.99; 95% CI, .97-1.0; P = .135) despite rapid scale-up of ART provision. In children aged <5 years, Streptococcus pneumoniae, nontyphoidal salmonellae (NTS), and Hib were the most frequently isolated pathogens, and have declined over this time period. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequently isolated pathogen in older children and adults. Estimated incidence of bacterial meningitis in 2012 was 20 per 100,000 cases in children aged <14 years, 6 per 100,000 adolescents, and 10 per 100,000 adults. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of bacterial meningitis have declined in children, but not adults, coinciding with the introduction of Hib vaccination. The highly successful rollout of ART has not yet resulted in a reduction in the incidence in adults where the burden remains high. Long-term surveillance of bacterial meningitis outside of the epidemic "meningitis belt" in Africa is essential.

Prevalence and spectrum of illness among hospitalized adults with malaria in Blantyre, Malawi.

BACKGROUND: As control interventions are rolled out, the burden of malaria may shift from young children to older children and adults as acquisition of immunity is slowed and persistence of immunity is short-lived. Data for malaria disease in adults are difficult to obtain because of co-morbid conditions and because parasitaemia may be asymptomatic. Regular surveys of adult admissions to a hospital in Malawi were conducted to characterize the clinical spectrum of malaria and to establish a baseline to monitor changes that occur in future. METHODS: In 2011-2012, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blantyre, four separated one-week surveys in the peak malaria transmission period (wet season) and three one-week surveys in the low transmission period (dry season) were conducted using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) with confirmation of parasitaemia by microscopy. All adults (aged ≥15) being admitted to the adult medical wards regardless of the suspected diagnosis, were enrolled. Participants with a positive malaria test underwent a standardized physical examination and laboratory tests. Malaria syndromes were characterized by reviewing charts and laboratory results on discharge. RESULTS: 765 adult admissions were screened. 63 (8.2%) were RDT-positive with 61 (8.0%) positive by microscopy. Over the course of the seven study weeks, two patients were judged to have incidental parasitaemia, 31 (4.1%) had uncomplicated malaria and 28 (3.7%) had severe malaria. Both uncomplicated and severe malaria cases were more common in the rainy season than the dry season. Prostration (22/28 cases) and hyperparasitaemia (>250,000 parasites/µl) (9/28) were the most common features of severe malaria. Jaundice (4/28), severe anaemia (2/28), hyperlactataemia (2/28), shock (1/28) and haemoglobinuria (1/28) were less commonly seen, and no patient had severe metabolic derangement or organ failure. There were no deaths attributable to malaria. CONCLUSION: In this study of adults admitted to hospital in southern Malawi, an area with year-round transmission of Plasmodium falciparum, classical metabolic and organ complications of malaria were not encountered. Prostration and hyperparasitaemia were more common indicators of severity in patients admitted with malaria, none of whom died. These data will provide a baseline for monitoring trends in the frequency and clinical patterns of severe malaria in adults.