Abstract：
BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported an estimated 249 million malaria cases globally in 2023, of which 94% were reported from Africa. Tanzania, a Sub-Saharan African country, has an exceptionally high malaria prevalence (3.6 million in 2023). The aim of the present study was to assess malaria prevalence rates in the Arusha Region, northern Tanzania. This region is famous for its national parks and wildlife reserves, and it is visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world each year. The assessment of malaria prevalence in the region is important in the context of the necessity to administer antimalarial chemoprophylaxis to international travellers.
METHODS: The study group consisted of 101 people, residents of the Karatu District in the Arusha Region, aged between 1 and 73 years, who volunteered to participate in the screening. Phase I of the study was conducted in July 2022 in the Karatu Lutheran Hospital in Karatu Town (located close to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park). During this phase a venous blood sample was collected from each patient. The samples were tested for malaria using a rapid diagnostic test (mRDT); the same samples were also used to measure haemoglobin concentration and next they were applied onto the Whatman FTA micro cards for further molecular diagnostics in Poland (phase II).
RESULTS: mRDT detected two (2.0%) infections caused by Plasmodium (the etiological factor of malaria), the molecular tests (RT-PCR) confirmed the two positive results by mRDT but also detected infections in six other samples (7.9% in total). The study found that six patients were infected with the Plasmodium falciparum species, while two other subjects had co-infections (P. falciparum + P. ovale, P. falciparum + P. vivax + P. malariae).
CONCLUSIONS: The study findings confirm the prevalence of malaria in areas located close to national parks in northern Tanzania and support the use of antimalarial chemoprophylaxis in international travellers visiting the area. The present study found co-infections caused by four different species of Plasmodium species which supports the prevalence of different parasitic species in Sub-Saharan Africa and is in line with CDC reports but contrary to WHO reports which estimate that 100% of malaria cases in Sub-Saharan Africa are caused by P. falciparum.
METHODS: The study group consisted of 101 people, residents of the Karatu District in the Arusha Region, aged between 1 and 73 years, who volunteered to participate in the screening. Phase I of the study was conducted in July 2022 in the Karatu Lutheran Hospital in Karatu Town (located close to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park). During this phase a venous blood sample was collected from each patient. The samples were tested for malaria using a rapid diagnostic test (mRDT); the same samples were also used to measure haemoglobin concentration and next they were applied onto the Whatman FTA micro cards for further molecular diagnostics in Poland (phase II).
RESULTS: mRDT detected two (2.0%) infections caused by Plasmodium (the etiological factor of malaria), the molecular tests (RT-PCR) confirmed the two positive results by mRDT but also detected infections in six other samples (7.9% in total). The study found that six patients were infected with the Plasmodium falciparum species, while two other subjects had co-infections (P. falciparum + P. ovale, P. falciparum + P. vivax + P. malariae).
CONCLUSIONS: The study findings confirm the prevalence of malaria in areas located close to national parks in northern Tanzania and support the use of antimalarial chemoprophylaxis in international travellers visiting the area. The present study found co-infections caused by four different species of Plasmodium species which supports the prevalence of different parasitic species in Sub-Saharan Africa and is in line with CDC reports but contrary to WHO reports which estimate that 100% of malaria cases in Sub-Saharan Africa are caused by P. falciparum.
摘要：
背景：世界卫生组织（WHO）报告了2023年全球估计有2.49亿疟疾病例，其中94％来自非洲。坦桑尼亚,一个撒哈拉以南非洲国家，疟疾患病率异常高（2023年为360万）。本研究的目的是评估阿鲁沙地区的疟疾流行率，坦桑尼亚北部这个地区以其国家公园和野生动物保护区而闻名，每年都有成千上万来自世界各地的游客参观。在必须向国际旅行者进行抗疟化学预防的背景下，评估该区域的疟疾流行率很重要。
方法：研究组由101人组成，阿鲁沙地区卡拉图地区的居民，年龄在1至73岁之间，自愿参加筛选。该研究的第一阶段于2022年7月在卡拉图镇的卡拉图路德教会医院（靠近恩戈朗戈罗保护区和塞伦盖蒂国家公园）进行。在该阶段期间,从每个患者收集静脉血样品。使用快速诊断测试（mRDT）对样品进行了疟疾测试；相同的样品还用于测量血红蛋白浓度，然后将其应用于WhatmanFTA微型卡上，以在波兰进行进一步的分子诊断（第二阶段）。
结果：mRDT检测到由疟原虫（疟疾的病因）引起的两种（2.0％）感染，分子检测(RT-PCR)证实了mRDT的两个阳性结果，但也在其他六个样本中检测到了感染(总共7.9%)。研究发现，六名患者感染了恶性疟原虫，而另外两名受试者患有共感染(P.恶性疟原虫+卵形疟原虫,恶性疟原虫+间日疟原虫+疟原虫)。
结论：研究结果证实了坦桑尼亚北部国家公园附近地区的疟疾流行率，并支持在访问该地区的国际旅行者中使用抗疟疾化学预防。本研究发现由四种不同的疟原虫物种引起的共同感染，这支持了撒哈拉以南非洲不同寄生虫物种的流行，与CDC的报告一致，但与世卫组织的报告相反，世卫组织的报告估计，撒哈拉以南非洲的疟疾病例100％是由恶性疟原虫引起的。
方法：研究组由101人组成，阿鲁沙地区卡拉图地区的居民，年龄在1至73岁之间，自愿参加筛选。该研究的第一阶段于2022年7月在卡拉图镇的卡拉图路德教会医院（靠近恩戈朗戈罗保护区和塞伦盖蒂国家公园）进行。在该阶段期间,从每个患者收集静脉血样品。使用快速诊断测试（mRDT）对样品进行了疟疾测试；相同的样品还用于测量血红蛋白浓度，然后将其应用于WhatmanFTA微型卡上，以在波兰进行进一步的分子诊断（第二阶段）。
结果：mRDT检测到由疟原虫（疟疾的病因）引起的两种（2.0％）感染，分子检测(RT-PCR)证实了mRDT的两个阳性结果，但也在其他六个样本中检测到了感染(总共7.9%)。研究发现，六名患者感染了恶性疟原虫，而另外两名受试者患有共感染(P.恶性疟原虫+卵形疟原虫,恶性疟原虫+间日疟原虫+疟原虫)。
结论：研究结果证实了坦桑尼亚北部国家公园附近地区的疟疾流行率，并支持在访问该地区的国际旅行者中使用抗疟疾化学预防。本研究发现由四种不同的疟原虫物种引起的共同感染，这支持了撒哈拉以南非洲不同寄生虫物种的流行，与CDC的报告一致，但与世卫组织的报告相反，世卫组织的报告估计，撒哈拉以南非洲的疟疾病例100％是由恶性疟原虫引起的。
