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Malaria in Kenya's western highlands.
G Dennis Shanks1, Simon I Hay, Judy A Omumbo
1US Army Medical Research Unit-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|October 19, 2005
Summary
Malaria reemerged in Kenya due to drug-resistant parasites and potential environmental factors. Combination therapies show promise in limiting malaria transmission by reducing infectivity to mosquitoes.
Area of Science:
- * Epidemiology and Public Health
- * Infectious Diseases
- * Vector-Borne Illnesses
Background:
- * Malaria reemerged in Kenya's Kericho district in the 1980s, coinciding with the rise of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum.
- * This resurgence may have been triggered by antimalarial drug failures and a combination of other factors.
Observation:
- * Potential contributing factors include meteorologic changes, population movements, and degraded health services.
- * Changes in Anopheles vector populations were also observed.
- * Historical highland malaria epidemics in the 1940s were controlled using sporontocidal drugs.
Findings:
- * Recent application of combination chemotherapy has demonstrated success in limiting malaria transmission.
- * Antimalarial drugs can effectively reduce gametocyte presence, thereby decreasing mosquito infectivity during transmission seasons.
Implications:
- * Effective malaria control strategies may involve a combination of drug therapies and addressing environmental and societal factors.
- * Understanding drug resistance and vector dynamics is crucial for managing malaria epidemics.
- * Targeting gametocytes offers a potential avenue for interrupting malaria transmission.