Absence of asymptomatic malaria in pregnant women of Honduras

Resumen

Background: According to the World Health Organization, 219 million cases of malaria were reported in 2017 worldwide. During the last 8 years, the region of the Americas has experienced an average decrease in the incidence of malaria. Honduras has reported a reduction of 96.3% in the incidence of malaria between 2000 and 2017. Detection of submicroscopic infections is a great challenge for countries with low-endemic settings due to their relevance in the transmission of the parasite to the mosquito. Pregnant women are one of the populations most vulnerable to the complications of malaria and asymptomatic infections are considered as potential reservoirs of infection. The present study estimated the presence of Plasmodium asymptomatic infections in pregnant women and their newborns in an area of low endemicity in Honduras. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 300 asymptomatic mothers, from the umbilical cord of their newborns, and placentas. The DNA was extracted from dried blood spots using the Whatman FTA® purification reagent and the molecular diagnosis of the parasite was performed through two un-nested single tube species-specific PCR tests. Results: Nine hundred DNA samples successfully amplified the human beta globin partial sequence. None of the samples analysed revealed the presence of the parasite through this methodological approach. Conclusion: No asymptomatic malaria infections were detected among 300 pregnant women and their children in an area of low endemicity of Honduras. Implementation of more sensitive diagnostic techniques will contribute significantly on preventing transmission in order to eliminate malaria in the Central American sub region.