Current Malaria Situation in Asia-Oceania.

Asia-Oceania is a diverse region that comprises roughly 65% of the global population at risk for malaria. In 2016 WHO estimated the number of malaria cases across the Asia-Oceania to be 17 million, which is only a small part (8%) of the total global malaria burden, and the number of cases is shrinking rapidly. Most countries have brought their cases down to the point where elimination is in sight. Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) is becoming the dominant malaria species in many of those countries, where malaria occurs in hot spots of transmission frequently along international borders. The challenge is now to concentrate on those areas. This chapter reviews the situation in various areas of the Region and focuses on a number of important issues, including the prevalence of P. vivax and drug-resistant malaria.

Malaria in the WHO European Region: on the road to elimination 2000-2015: summary

This is an English version and summary of a Russian publication on the elimination of malaria in the WHO European Region. Through the considerable efforts of affected countries, WHO and the international community, the European Region became the first WHO region to interrupt transmission of indigenous malaria. The report summarizes the lessons learnt, experiences accumulated and results achieved in curbing epidemics and outbreaks after malaria resurgence, eliminating malaria and preventing the re-establishment of its transmission in malaria-affected countries and the entire Region. The publication was prepared by WHO staff members and international consultants of the WHO Regional Office for Europe and national malaria counterparts who have been committed to and involved in epidemic containment, malaria elimination and prevention over the past 16 years (2000–2015). The publication is intended for health managers and personnel, researchers, teachers, students and everyone who is interested in tropical diseases, medical parasitology and public health.

Elimination of Plasmodium vivax Malaria in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan in the south caucasus region of far southeastern Europe has a long history of malaria endemicity but just successfully eliminated local transmission. After a period of relatively stable malaria situation (1960-1970), the country witnessed an epidemic followed by a series of outbreaks of various magnitudes in the following two decades, all caused by Plasmodium vivax Compared with 1993, the number of malaria cases in the country jumped 29 times in 1994, 123 times in 1995, and 571 times in 1996 at the peak of the epidemic, when 13,135 cases were officially registered. Incidence rate increased dramatically from 0.2/100,000 population in 1991 to over 17/100,000 population in 1996. Scaled-up malaria control led to the containment of the epidemic and to a dramatic decrease of malaria burden nationwide. Azerbaijan has applied contemporary, complex control and surveillance strategies and approaches and is currently in the prevention of reintroduction phase. This article describes Azerbaijan's public health experience in conducting malaria control and elimination interventions over several decades until 2013 when the country reached an important milestone-no indigenous malaria cases were recorded.

The identification of free-living environmental isolates of amoebae from Bulgaria.

A survey was carried out in Bulgaria to determine the presence of free-living amoebae (FLA) from environmental sources. In 171 (61.1%) of 280 samples, isolates of Acanthamoeba with group II or III morphology, as well as Hartmannella spp. were recovered. Five isolates named "6" (artificial lake), Ep (lake), G2 (soil), R4* (river) and PK (spring water)--all exhibiting a highly efficient proliferation in axenic cultures--were subsequently cloned and subjected to molecular analyses for identification and genotyping In accordance with morphological findings, PCR-based analyses identified four isolates (6, Ep, G2, R4*) belonging to the genus Acanthamoeba. Confirmation of these findings was obtained by phylogenetic analysis using partial sequencing of the 18S rDNA (ASA.S1) Acanthamoeba-gene. Comparison of these sequences with corresponding regions from other Acanthamoeba strains available from GenBank sorted all four isolates into the sequence type group T4 that contains most of the pathogenic Acanthamoeba strains already identified. The fifth isolate (PK) exhibited morphological characteristics matching those of Hartmannella, and scored negative in the Naegleria fowleri and Acanthamoeba PCRs.