Malaria species prevalence among asymptomatic individuals in four regions of Mainland Tanzania

Abstract

AbstractRecent studies point to the need to incorporate non-falciparum species detection into malaria surveillance activities in sub-Saharan Africa, where 95% of malaria cases occur. AlthoughPlasmodium falciparuminfection is typically more severe, diagnosis, treatment, and control forP. malariae,P. ovalespp., andP. vivaxmay be more challenging. The prevalence of these species throughout sub-Saharan Africa is poorly defined. Tanzania has geographically heterogeneous transmission levels but an overall high malaria burden. In order to estimate the prevalence of malaria species in Mainland Tanzania, 1,428 samples were randomly selected from 6,005 asymptomatic isolates collected in cross-sectional community surveys across four regions and analyzed via qPCR to detect eachPlasmodiumspecies.P. falciparumwas most prevalent, withP. malariaeandP. ovalespp. detected at lower prevalence (<5%) in all four regions.P. vivaxwas not detected. Malaria elimination efforts in Tanzania will need to account for these non-falciparum species.