malaria

Artemisia annua, a medicinal plant with a history dating back over two millennia, has been recognized in ancient Asian and European medical texts as a remedy for a wide range of ailments. The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed this plant for the treatment of malaria. Traditionally, decoctions of the whole plant have been used to treat diseases such as malaria, cough, and cold. The dried leaf powder is employed to treat diarrhea. The entire flowering plant exhibits a multitude of therapeutic properties, including anthelmintic, antipyretic, antiseptic, and digestive aid. In addition, it can invigorate the body and improve gastric function. Artemisia annua contains a highly significant compound, artemisinin, which serves as the primary constituent of medications used globally to treat malaria. Furthermore, research has demonstrated artemisinin's ability to eradicate breast cancer cells. Tea prepared from Artemisia annua is utilized to manage HIV/AIDS. Recent scientific studies have extensively investigated the plant's antiviral effects on the HIV virus. Given the widespread prevalence of AIDS worldwide, these studies hold immense importance. Through this review, we aim to illuminate the significance and therapeutic applications of Artemisia annua. It is our hope that this study will contribute to a deeper understanding of this plant and its role in promoting public health.

Malaria and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are significant public health challenges when they overlap geographic distributions. There is potential for co-infections and syndemism of both pathogens due to the rising incidence of the overlap between regions endemic for hepatitis C virus and malaria. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the sero-prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and malaria co-infection among outpatients attending General Hospital Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria. A total of 100 outpatients consisting of 30 males and 70 females within the age of 11 to 70 years were randomly recruited to the study. Rapid diagnostic test kits were used to screen for HCV and malaria among the outpatients. Of the 100 outpatients screened, 12 (12%) were sero-positive for HCV while 4(4%) were sero-positive for Malaria. Of the 12 HCV sero-positive patients, 4 (13.33%) were male while 8 (11.43%) were females. Furthermore, all malaria sero-positive patients were male. Likewise, malaria and HCV co-infection in this study was 2%. Although low, the prevalence of HCV infection, malaria and HCV-malaria co-infection are worrisome especially in this area. Hence, patients should be encouraged to go for routine screening and know their infection status so as to prevent complications due to active infection.

Malaria infection, particularly during pregnancy, is a major public health concern in Nigeria, and there is a scarcity of data on it prevalence and scope in many areas, especially in remote villages that lack basic infrastructure and adequate health facilities for treating and managing the disease. The study which was conducted from June to December, 2021 and investigated the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women in some selected villages of Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. 384 consented pregnant women attending antenatal at Kwadon primary health clinic were enrolled. Vein puncture technique was used to collect venous blood and analysed microscopically using Gemsa staining technique. Plasmodium falciparum-malaria was detected using microscope with x100 objective lens. Malaria parasites were found in 81(21.09%) of the 384 samples collected, highest prevalence was documented from Wajari village. Malaria infection was not statistically linked with the respondents’ village (x2=5.847, df=4, P>0.05). Older pregnant women aged 40-45 years had the highest prevalence of 2(40.00%), while subjects aged 36-40 years had the lowest prevalence of 36.0%. Malaria infection was not statistically associated with the subject’s age (x2=4.816, df=6, P>0.05). Subjects in first trimester and multigravida had the highest prevalence of 02(28.57%) and 63(29.57%) respectively. Statistically malaria infection was not associated with the pregnant women’s trimester (x2=0.355, df=2, P>0.05) and gravidity (x2=1.825, df=2, P>0.05). In conclusion, moderate level of malaria infection was recorded from the selected villages and older pregnant women suffer most from the disease

Malaria Chemoprevention depends on synthetic drugs, but the parasite is continuously developing resistance to the antimalarial armament, hence a consequential need for surveillance studies on the sensitivity of the drugs is felt. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to determine the presence of biomarkers associated with drug sensitivity in DHFR and DHPS gene of Plasmodium falciparum. 200 blood samples were collected using vein puncture technique and they were analysed using Microscopy, RDT and PCR. DNA was extracted using Quick-DNA™ Miniprep extraction kit. Purity and concentration of the DNA were determined using Nanodrop Spectrophotometer. 57 samples were selected for molecular analysis. Nested PCR was used to amplify PFDHFR and PFDHPS genes; all PCR reactions were carried out in 25 µL reaction mixture (5 µL DNA template, 1 µL Primer, 6.5µldistilled water and 12.5 µL Master mix). The PCR products were subjected to electrophoresis using 2% agarose gel. The amplicons were purified, sequenced and subjected to BLAST software. Mutations were recorded from A16V 05(8.77%), N51I 18(31.58%), C59R 03(5.26%), I164L 12(21.05) variants of DHFR gene, while in DHPS gene, mutations were recorded from K540E 6(10.52%) variant. Basic Biomarkers of resistance in DHFR and DHPS gene were recorded from Gombe.

This study analyzed the changes in land use and land cover trends and their implication on malaria transmission using satellite imagery applications. Deforestation or human land use activity related to water and development has expanded the ideal habitats for malaria-carrying mosquitoes, resulting in an upsurge of malaria transmission.The presence of these habitats and breeding increased the contact between humans and mosquitoes, thus increasing the number of malaria cases. The decrease of canopy and forest cover has increased the temperature, resulting in the shortening of aquatic stages and sporogony development of the mosquitoes. This study aims to provide an understanding of the relationship between the topography effect over the land-use factor and land cover change on malaria for more than ten years from 2005 to 2019 of transmission.

Malaria case data obtained were analyzed for the trends, incidence rate, and spatial distribution. Remote Sensing and geographic information system were used to determine the land use and land cover change in selected districts of North Borneo in Sabah, as the study areas.

The malaria incidence rate shows an increase from 2005 to 2019, with 149.64%. The transmission of the malaria vector dynamics and abundance with topography changes has changed with time, including with forest declination at 8.38%, and cropland change decreased at 16.61%. However, an expansion of 33.6% was observed for oil palm plantations. Overall, the results have shown that the range of incidence rate was found` highly viable from 0.29/1000 persons to 4.09/1000 people.

In conclusion, using geographic information system remote sensing with malaria integrated topography transmission information will be targeted by zoning most affected areas or the most productive larval habitat for remedial measures. This study can help to reduce the malaria vector population through environmental management related to the mosquito larval cycle in different land-use settings and change by minimizing the transmission by the targeted malaria control program.