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Introduction Paediatric anaemia is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa [1]. Anaemic children have reduced exercise capacity [2, 3], slower growth [4, 5], impaired neurological [6, 7] and cognitive [8] development, delayed [...], Anaemia is a serious and common problem among young children in sub-Saharan Africa. As a first step towards developing guidelines for its recognition and treatment, we conducted a study to evaluate the ability of health workers to use clinical findings to identify children with anaemia. Health care workers examined a total of 1104 children under 5 years of age at two hospital-based outpatient clinics in rural Malawi. Blood samples were taken to determine haemoglobin concentrations. Pallor of the conjunctiva, tongue, palm or nail beds was 66% sensitive and 68% specific in distinguishing children with moderate anaemia (haemoglobin concentration, 5-8 g/dl) and 93% sensitive and 57% specific in distinguishing those with severe anaemia (haemoglobin concentration,

Preventive chemotherapy is the public health strategy recommended by the WHO against a set of neglected tropical diseases that includes four groups of helminth infections (lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis) and one chlamydial (trachoma) infection. This article presents the characteristics of preventive chemotherapy interventions directed against each disease targeted by this strategy and provides an update on the status of their implementation worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Comments on the availability of single-dose, safe treatment for fascioliasis using a formulation specifically designed for human use. Opportunities to implement a strategy to control the disease in areas of high risk; Use of chemotherapy as an important operational component.

In 2012, the World Health Organisation (WHO) set out a roadmap for eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2025. To achieve this target, preschool-aged children (PSAC; aged 6 years and below) will need to be included in schistosomiasis treatment programmes. As the global community discusses the tools and approaches for treating this group, one of the main questions that remains unanswered is how to quantify infection in this age group to inform treatment strategies. The aim of this study was thus to determine whether a relationship exists between levels of schistosome infection in PSAC and school-aged children (SAC), that can be used to determine unknown schistosome infection prevalence levels in PSAC. A systematic search of publications reporting schistosomiasis prevalence in African PSAC and SAC was conducted. The search strategy was formulated using the PRISMA guidelines and SPIDER search strategy tool. The published data was subjected to regression analysis to determine if a relationship exists between infection levels in PSAC and SAC. The interaction between SAC and community treatment history was also entered in the regression model to determine if treatment history significantly affected the relationship between PSAC and SAC prevalence. The results showed that a significant positive relationship exists between infection prevalence levels in PSAC and SAC for Schistosoma mansoni (r = 0.812, df (88, 1), p = <0.0001) and S. haematobium (r = 0.786, df (53, 1), p = <0.0001). The relationship was still significant after allowing for diagnostic method, treatment history, and the African sub-region where the study was conducted (S. mansoni: F = 25.63, df (88, 9), p = <0.0001; S. haematobium: F = 10.20, df (53, 10), p = <0.0001). Using the regression equation for PSAC and SAC prevalence, over 90% of the PSAC prevalence studies were placed in the correct WHO classifications category based on the SAC levels, regardless of treatment history. The study indicated that schistosome prevalence in SAC can be extended as a proxy for infection levels in PSAC, extending on its current use in the adult population. SAC prevalence data could identify where there is a need to accelerate and facilitate the treatment of PSAC for schistosomiasis in Africa., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: Schistosomiasis is known to occur in preschool-aged children, but achieving accurate dosing of praziquantel in its current form is challenging. While waiting for a paediatric formulation, there is a need to develop a means for using the available products to treat this age group. Current 600-mg tablets are differently scored to give units of 150 mg (a quarter of a tablet) or 300 mg (half a tablet)., Methods: We examined several dosing schemes to dose accurately (40-60 mg/kg) children aged 3-72 months (weight range 4-25 kg, based on available weight-for-age growth references from sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil, n = 106,230)., Results: Adequate dosing can be achieved with formulations that can be split into four 150 mg quarters for children weighing 5 kg or more, and with tablets than can be split into two 300 mg halves for children weighing 10 kg or more. Giving ½ tablet for 5-7 kg; ¾ tablet for 8-10 kg; 1 tablet for 11-15 kg; 1 ½ tablet for 16-21 kg; and two tablets for 22-25 kg will have 100% of subjects correctly dosed within the target 40-60 mg/kg range., Conclusions: Formulations that can be divided into four parts (to give 150 mg increments) are preferred for children weighing less than 11 kg; the same dosing can be applied with 600 mf praziquantel formulations that can be divided into four quarters or two halves from 11 kg body weight., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd The World Health Organization retains copyright and all other rights in the manuscript of this [Practical dosing of praziquantel for schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children] as submitted for publication.)

Female genital schistosomiasis is a frequent, but neglected cause of mucosal pathology in the female genital tract. Moreover, recent studies indicate that genital mucosal lesions may increase the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In rural Africa, detailed clinical images are rarely available alongside histologic sections, and further understanding of the pathogenesis of the genital mucosal lesions is needed. These cases represent previously unreported histopathologic photomicrographs and corresponding clinical images in 2 women with genital schistosomiasis. Dilated and tortuous mucosal venules seen in the cervicovaginal mucosa were found to contain viable Schistosoma haematobium eggs surrounded by a thrombus. The presence of abnormal mucosal blood vessels may be an indication of a persistent tissue reaction to S. haematobium ova in the lower female genital tract.

Background: Urogenital schistosomiasis, caused by infection with Schistosoma haematobium, is widespread and causes substantial morbidity on the African continent. The infection has been suggested as an unrecognized risk factor for incident HIV infection. Current guidelines recommend preventive chemotherapy, using praziquantel as a public health tool, to avert morbidity due to schistosomiasis. In individuals of reproductive age, urogenital schistosomiasis remains highly prevalent and, likely, underdiagnosed. This comprehensive literature review was undertaken to examine the evidence for a cause-effect relationship between urogenital schistosomiasis and HIV/AIDS. The review aims to support discussions of urogenital schistosomiasis as a neglected yet urgent public health challenge., Methodology/principal Findings: We conducted a systematic search of the literature including online databases, clinical guidelines, and current medical textbooks. We describe plausible local and systemic mechanisms by which Schistosoma haematobium infection could increase the risk of HIV acquisition in both women and men. We also detail the effects of S. haematobium infection on the progression and transmissibility of HIV in co-infected individuals. We briefly summarize available evidence on the immunomodulatory effects of chronic schistosomiasis and the implications this might have for populations at high risk of both schistosomiasis and HIV., Conclusions/significance: Studies support the hypothesis that urogenital schistosomiasis in women and men constitutes a significant risk factor for HIV acquisition due both to local genital tract and global immunological effects. In those who become HIV-infected, schistosomal co-infection may accelerate HIV disease progression and facilitate viral transmission to sexual partners. Establishing effective prevention strategies using praziquantel, including better definition of treatment age, duration, and frequency of treatment for urogenital schistosomiasis, is an important public health priority. Our findings call attention to this pressing yet neglected public health issue and the potential added benefit of scaling up coverage of schistosomal treatment for populations in whom HIV infection is prevalent.

Background: Praziquantel at 40 mg/kg in a single dose is the WHO recommended treatment for all forms of schistosomiasis, but 60 mg/kg is also deployed nationally., Methodology/principal Findings: Four trial sites in the Philippines, Mauritania, Tanzania and Brazil enrolled 856 patients using a common protocol, who were randomised to receive praziquantel 40 mg/kg (n  =  428) or 60 mg/kg (n  =  428). While the sites differed for transmission and infection intensities (highest in Tanzania and lowest in Mauritania), no bias or heterogeneity across sites was detected for the main efficacy outcomes. The primary efficacy analysis was the comparison of cure rates on Day 21 in the intent-to-treat population for the pooled data using a logistic model to calculate Odd Ratios allowing for baseline characteristics and study site. Both doses were highly effective: the Day 21 cure rates were 91.7% (86.6%-98% at individual sites) with 40 mg/kg and 92.8% (88%-97%) with 60 mg/kg. Secondary parameters were eggs reduction rates (ERR), change in intensity of infection and reinfection rates at 6 and 12 months. On Day 21 the pooled estimate of the ERR was 91% in both arms. The Hazard Ratio for reinfections was only significant in Brazil, and in favour of 60 mg/kg on the pooled estimate (40 mg/kg: 34.3%, 60 mg/kg: 23.9%, HR  =  0.78, 95% CI  = [0.63;0.96]). Analysis of safety could not distinguish between disease- and drug-related events. 666 patients (78%) reported 1327 adverse events (AE) 4 h post-dosing. The risk of having at least one AE was higher in the 60 than in the 40 mg/kg group (83% vs. 73%, p<0.001). At 24 h post-dosing, 456 patients (54%) had 918 AEs with no difference between arms. The most frequent AE was abdominal pain at both 4 h and 24 h (40% and 24%)., Conclusion: A higher dose of 60 mg/kg of praziquantel offers no significant efficacy advantage over standard 40 mg/kg for treating intestinal schistosomiasis caused by either S. mansoni or S. japonicum. The results of this study support WHO recommendation and should be used to inform policy decisions in the countries.

Pre-school age children account for 10%-20% of the 2 billion people worldwide who are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs): Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), Trichuris trichiura (whipworm), and Ancylostoma duodenale/Necator americanus (hookworms). Through a systematic review of the published literature and using information collated at World Health Organization headquarters, this paper summarizes the available evidence to support the recommendation that pre-school children should be included in regular deworming programmes. The first section describes the burden of STH disease in this age group, followed by a summary of how infection impacts iron status, growth, vitamin A status, and cognitive development and how STHs may exacerbate other high mortality infections. The second section explores the safety of the drugs themselves, given alone or co-administered, drug efficacy, and the importance of safe administration. The third section provides country-based evidence to demonstrate improved health outcomes after STH treatment. The final section provides country experiences in scaling up coverage of pre-school children by using other large scale public health interventions, including vitamin A programmes, immunization campaigns, and Child Health days. The paper concludes with a number of open research questions and a summary of some of the operational challenges that still need to be addressed.

Background: Public health interventions based on distribution of anthelminthic drugs against lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and schistosomiasis have been implemented separately to date. A better use of available resources might be facilitated by a more coordinated approach to control such infections, including the possibility of co-administering the three recommended anthelminthic drugs through a single, large-scale intervention., Methodology/principal Findings: Ivermectin, albendazole and praziquantel were co-administered to 5,055 children and adults living in areas endemic for LF, STH and schistosomiasis in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania, during a pilot intervention aimed at elucidating and quantifying possible side-effects. Subsequently, these drugs were co-administered to about 700,000 individuals during a countrywide intervention targeting a large part of the total population of Zanzibar. Passive and active surveillance measures carried out during both interventions showed that side-effects attributable to the three drugs given at the same time were mild and self-limiting events., Conclusions/significance: Our data suggest that co-administration of ivermectin, albendazole and praziquantel is safe in areas where lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis are co-endemic and where several rounds of treatment with one or two drugs have been implemented in the past. Passive surveillance measures, however, should be continued and detection, management and reporting of possible side-effects should be considered a key component of any health intervention administering drugs.

A pole estimating, for each individual, the number of praziquantel tablets needed for treatment according to height was tested in 20 data sets (n = 25,688). In more than 98% of the cases the indicated dose was within the range that has proven efficacious and safe (30 and 60 mg/kg).

A systematic analysis of the existing literature has been undertaken to compare the therapeutic and operational profiles of metrifonate (CAS 52-68-6), and praziquantel (CAS 55-268-74-1), two anti-schistosomal compounds. The criteria evaluated were therapeutic efficacy against Schistosoma haematobium and other helminths, impact on pathology commonly associated with S. haematobium infection, frequency, type and duration of adverse reactions, health risk associated with inadvertent overdosage, applicability and practicality of treatment in various medical settings, tolerance and resistance, pharmacological properties, toxicity and economic aspects. It is concluded that both medical and operational criteria indicate that praziquantel is superior to metrifonate for the treatment of schistosomiasis caused by S. haematobium. Since, compared to praziquantel, metrifonate has a number of disadvantages, future antischistosomal chemotherapy can do without this drug.

A total of 51 women with urinary schistosomiasis haematobium were examined in order to identify diagnostic indicators for female genital schistosomiasis (FGS). Patients were selected at random from the outpatient department of the Mangochi District Hospital, Malawi. The medical histories were recorded according to a pre-designed questionnaire and the women were subjected to a thorough gynaecological examination including colposcopy and photographic documentation of lesions. Microscopy of genital biopsies revealed that 33 of the 51 women had S. haematobium ova in cervix, vagina and/or vulva in addition to the presence of ova in urine. The most sensitive diagnostic procedure was beside microscopic examination of a wet cervix biopsy crushed between two glass slides, which revealed 25 of the 33 genital infections. There was a significant correlation between the size of genital lesions and the number of ova counted per mm2 of crushed tissue. Women with FGS had significantly more tumours in the vulva than women with schistosomiasis limited to the urinary tract. Most of the observed genital pathology could easily be identified by the naked eye, but colposcopic examination yielded valuable additional information like the demonstration of neovascularisation around cervical sandy patches. Few of the symptoms previously regarded as indicators for FGS could be linked to the presence of schistosome ova in genital tissue. Husbands of infertile women with FGS had children with other women significantly more often than husbands of women who only had urinary schistosomiasis. This, together with the finding that the majority of the divorced women had FGS, indicates that the manifestation of this disease may have implications for the marital and sexual life of the affected women.

Hematuria, proteinuria and leukocyturia were semiquantitatively assessed by reagent strips in single morning urine of women of fertile age visiting the outpatient department of the Mangochi district hospital, Malawi. This was part of a diagnostic approach to female genital schistosomiasis (FGS). In 51 women ova of Schistosoma haematobium were detected in urine by a filtration technique. In 33 of these women ova were also present in genital tissue as demonstrated by microscopic examination of biopsies. In 209 women no ova were found in the single urine filtered. There were significantly higher scores for hematuria, proteinuria and leukocyturia as well as of the combined reagent strip index (RSI) in egg-excreting than in egg-negative women. The sensitivity of a single hematuria, proteinuria and leukocyturia reading was 98, 84 and 73%, respectively. However, the respective specificity was only 24, 22 and 23%. The best prediction of urinary schistosomiasis was achieved by a +2 score for hematuria, of which the sensitivity was 94% and the specificity was 61%. The high false-positive rates can probably be explained by contamination of urine by vaginal secretion. Moreover, cases of schistosomiasis have probably been overlooked because only a single morning urine sample was examined. The total absence of hematuria, proteinuria and leukocyturia, however, may be used to rule out heavy infections in community surveys. There was no difference in reagent strip scores between women with genital and urinary schistosomiasis as compared with those with urinary tract lesions alone. Thus urine analysis reagent strip readings do not help to discriminate between S. haematobium infected women with and without FGS.

Little is known whether and to what extent antiparasitic treatment cures female genital schistosomiasis (FGS). Using a standard protocol, of twenty-one women with FGS nine were re-examined at two to nine weeks after they had been treated with praziquantel at a single dose of 40 mg/kg. Symptoms related to pathology of the urinary tract and to a lesser extent of genital pathology subsided in most patients. Schistosoma haematobium ova were no longer detectable in urine of any of the patients post-treatment. Efficiency of chemotherapy against adult worms was confirmed by the disappearance of circulating anodic antigen (CAA) in serum. Sandy patches showed resolution in two of four cases after chemotherapy. Papillomata due to schistosomiasis alone improved, but persisted in mixed infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) or when HPV was the only underlying cause. In one patient ulcera could not be related with certainty to schistosomiasis at admission, but resolved after treatment with parziquantel. Leukoplakia (two cases) was not influenced by chemotherapy, or even increased during follow-up, regardless of whether ova had been detected or not. Although the follow-up period was rather short, time intervals were not standardized, and a relatively small number of patients was investigated, it could be shown that genital pathology due to sequestered S. haematobium ova is, at least partially, reversible already two to nine weeks after killing the adult worms by praziquantel. This is paralleled by a normalization of inflammatory immune responses detectable in histological sections and vaginal lavage.

Schistosomiasis of the lower female reproductive tract manifests itself in a broad spectrum of clinical features. However, clinical and histopathological findings have never been studied in a synoptic manner. Based on the assumption that any type of pathology present in the female reproductive tract is the expression of a complex pathophysiological reaction towards eggs sequestered in the genital tissues, we decided to analyze colposcopic and histopathological findings in a comprehensive manner. Thirty-three women in Malawi with urinary and genital schistosomiasis were examined parasitologically and gynecologically. A thorough colposcopic examination with photodocumentation was performed and biopsies were taken from the cervix, the vagina and/or the vulva for histological sectioning and immunohistochemistry. The predominant colposcopic findings were sandy patches on the cervical surface similar to those seen in the bladder and polypous/papillomatous tumors with irregular surface on the vaginal wall and in the vulvar area. The histopathological sections of sandy-patch-like lesions demonstrated only a small cellular reaction around S. haematobium eggs in various stages of disintegration. In contrast, in the case of polyps the histology revealed a more pronounced immunological reaction characterized by a heavy cellular infiltrate. One case of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix was diagnosed. We conclude that colposcopy is a useful tool in the detection of FGS related pathology in the lower female reproductive tract and that the synoptic assessment of surface and of corresponding histological sections helped to understand the pathophysiology of S. haematobium associated disease in genital tissue.

Based on assumptions about the pathophysiology of egg-related lesions in the lower reproductive tract, putative indirect disease markers were investigated in vaginal fluids from 54 Malawi adolescent girls and women infected with S. haematobium. These women received a careful gynecological examination during which biopsies were taken from the cervix, and, if present, also from suspicious lesions in the vagina and the vulva. If the biopsies, either in wet crushed preparations or in histological sections, contained eggs the patients were considered to have female genital schistosomiasis (FGS; n = 33). The remainder (n = 21) were classified as having urinary schistosomiasis only. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), a cytotoxic granule protein of eosinophils, neopterin, a second messenger molecule generated during the activation of macrophages, and IgA as an indicator of local B-cell activation were quantitatively determined in vaginal fluid. To clarify the origin of ECP, this protein was also looked for in histological sections by an immunohistochemical method. In order to explore whether such disease markers can be detected after absorption to a tampon-like material, ECP and IgA were also assessed after elution from a non-porous, polypropylene fibre web impregnated with vaginal fluid. The concentration of ECP in vaginal fluid and the degree of immunohistochemical staining in histological sections were significantly higher in patients with FGS than in women with urinary schistosomiasis only. The amount of ECP detected in histological sections correlated to the number of eggs/mm2 of compressed genital tissue (rho = 0.36, P = 0.02), and the concentration of ECP in vaginal fluid correlated to the concentration of neopterin as well as to that of IgA (rho = 0.52, P = 0.004 and rho = 0.37, P = 0.02, respectively). Median neopterin concentration in vaginal fluid was also higher in the FGS group, but the difference was not statistically significant. ECP could also be detected in eluates from impregnated fibre webs, but the concentration was approximately one power of 10 less than in the original vaginal fluid. These results demonstrate that indicators of immunological mechanisms related to the egg-granuloma might be useful as indirect disease markers for women with FGS if assessed in vaginal washings or swab eluates.

Background: In 1992 two US Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) developed central nervous system schistosomiasis due to infection with Schistosoma haematobium following recreational water exposure at Cape Maclear on Lake Malawi, an African lake considered by many to be free of schistosomiasis. To determine the transmission potential and risk for aquiring schistosomiasis in Lake Malawi, a cross-sectional survey of resident expatriates and visitors to Malawi was done during March and April, 1993., Methods: A volunteer cohort of expatriates and visitors representing a cross-section of Malawi's foregn population answered detailed questions about freshwater contact and provided blood specimens to determine the seroprevalence of S haematobium and S mansoni by ELISA and immunoblot analyses. A survey for vector snails was conducted along Lake Malawi's southwestern shore., Findings: The study population of 955 included 305 US citizens and 650 non-US foreign nationals. 303 of the study population had serological evidence of current or past schistosome infection. Seroprevalence was 32% (141/440) among expatriates whose freshwater exposure was limited to Lake Malawi; S haematobium antibodies were found in 135 of 141 (96%) seropositive specimens. Risk of seropositivity increased with the number of freshwater exposures at Lake Malawi resorts. Although many resort areas in the southwestern lake region posed a significant risk, Cape Maclear was the location most strongly associated with seropositivity (OR 2.9, 95% Cl 1.6-5.1). Schistosome-infected Bulinus globosus, the snail vector of S haematobium in Malawi, were found at Cape Maclear and other locations along the lakeshore., Interpretation: S haematobium infection is highly prevalent among expatriates and tourists in Malawi. Recreational water contact at popular resorts on Lake Malawi is the most likely source of infection. Transmission of schistosomiasis is occurring in Lake Malawi, a previously under-recognised site of transmission.

History obtained from parents and carers is an important, and often the only, source of information for health workers treating children for malaria, but its validity has not been well evaluated. At 2 hospitals in Malawi, we obtained malaria treatment histories from mothers of 973 ill children reported to have had fever as part of the illness. Urine samples were collected from 755 of the 973 children (78%). Of the 755, 457 (61%) were reported to have received some kind of treatment. Among those who reportedly received treatment, 79 (17%) were said to have received chloroquine and 23 (5%) a sulphonamide-containing medicine; however, when urine specimens were tested for antimalarial drugs, chloroquine was found in 182 specimens (40%) and a sulphonamide in 148 (32%). Among urine specimens collected from 291 children who were reported to have received no treatment (no report was recorded for 7 children), chloroquine was detected in 56 (19%) and a sulphonamide in 44 (15%). Although not statistically significant, mothers often reported a child as not having received an antimalarial drug if the child was younger than 12 months or had been sick for more than 3 d. The mothers' information regarding home treatment of fever in children was highly inaccurate. Malaria treatment histories, whether collected at health facilities or in surveys of knowledge, attitudes, and practices, must be interpreted with caution.

With the knowledge that an efficacious antimalarial administered to pregnant women would markedly reduce placental malaria and its associated risk of low birth weight (LBW), investigations were conducted to identify an antimalarial regimen practical for nationwide implementation through the antenatal clinic (ANC) system. Maternal practices, including ANC utilization and malaria treatment and prevention during pregnancy were evaluated as part of a national malaria knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey. A second study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and cost of selected alternative antimalarial regimens. Women in their first or second pregnancy were placed on chloroquine (CQ) treatment (25 mg/kg) followed by weekly CQ (300 mg) (CQ/CQ); sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) treatment followed by CQ (300 mg weekly) (SP/CQ); or SP treatment during the second trimester and repeated at the beginning of the third trimester (SP/SP). With 87% of women attending ANC two or more times during pregnancy, most pregnant women in Malawi could be reached with an antimalarial intervention. Among 159 women in their first or second pregnancy receiving CQ/CQ, SP/CQ, and SP/SP, placental malaria parasitemia rates were 32%, 26%, and 9%, respectively (P = 0.006, by chi-square test). The SP/SP regimen was also markedly more cost-effective in preventing infant deaths, costing $75 per infant death prevented, compared with $481 for SP/CQ and $542 for CQ/CQ. These investigations suggest that a regimen consisting of two treatment doses of SP during pregnancy is an efficacious and cost-effective intervention to prevent placental malaria, and LBW-associated mortality, that can be delivered to pregnant women through ANCs in settings similar to those found in rural Malawi.

In Africa, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the most serious emerging infection and Plasmodium falciparum malaria is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases. Both infections have serious consequences in pregnant women, their fetuses, and infants. We examined the association between HIV and P. falciparum in pregnant women enrolled in a malaria chemoprophylaxis study in rural Malawi. Pregnant women (n = 2,946) were enrolled at their first antenatal clinic visit (mean 5.6 months of pregnancy), placed on one of three chloroquine regimens, and followed through delivery. Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia was measured at enrollment, monthly thereafter, at delivery, and 2-6 months postpartum; placental and newborn (umbilical cord blood) infection was measured for hospital-delivered infants. Serum collected during pregnancy was tested for antibodies to HIV by enzyme-linked immunoassay with Western blot confirmation. Parasitemia was detected in 46% of 2,946 women at enrollment and 19.1% at delivery; HIV seroprevalence was 5.5%. The prevalence and geometric mean density (GMPD) of parasitemia at enrollment and at delivery were higher in HIV-seropositive(+) than in HIV-seronegative(-) women (at enrollment: 57% prevalence and a GMPD of 1,558 parasites/mm3 versus 44% and 670/mm3, respectively; P < 0.0001; and at delivery: 35% and 1,589/mm3 versus 18% and 373/mm3; P < 0.0005). Placental infection rates were higher in HIV(+) compared with HIV(-) women, (38% versus 23%; P < 0.0005). This association was strongest in multigravidas. Compared with infants born to HIV(-) women, newborns born to HIV(+) women had higher rates of umbilical cord blood parasitemia. Both HIV(+) and HIV(-) women had similar rates of parasitemia 2-6 months postpartum. The HIV infection diminishes a pregnant woman's capacity to control P. falciparum parasitemia and placental and newborn infection, the major determinants of the impact of P. falciparum on fetal growth and infant survival.

Antenatal clinics (ANC) provide an avenue for interventions that promote maternal and infant health. In areas hyperendemic for Plasmodium falciparum, malaria infection during pregnancy contributes to low birth weight (LBW), which is the greatest risk factor for neonatal mortality. Using current data and costs from studies in Malawi, a decision-analysis model was constructed to predict the number of LBW cases prevented by three antimalarial regimens, in an area with a high prevalence of chloroquine (CQ)-resistant malaria. Factors considered included local costs of antimalarials, number of ANC visits, compliance with dispensed antimalarials, prevalence of placental malaria, and LBW incidence. For a hypothetical cohort of 10,000 women in their first or second pregnancy, a regimen consisting of one dose of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in the second trimester followed by a second dose at the beginning of the third trimester would prevent 205 cases of LBW at a cost of US$ 9.66 per case of LBW prevented. A regimen using a treatment dose of SP followed by CQ 300 mg (base) weekly would prevent 59 cases of LBW at a cost of $62 per case prevented, compared with only 30 cases of LBW prevented at a cost of $113 per case when the regimen involves initial treatment with CQ (25 mg/kg) followed by CQ 300 mg (base) weekly. In areas hyperendemic for CQ-resistant P. falciparum, a two-dose SP regimen is a cost-effective intervention to reduce LBW incidence and it should be included as part of the antenatal care package.

Anecdotal information suggested that a new focus of onchocerciasis had recently developed in Mwanza in Malawi, a district not contiguous with Thyolo, the only district in Malawi with recognized autochthonous transmission. We carried out a survey of the northern half of Mwanza district, randomly selecting 62 villages for assessment. Two iliac crest skin snips were taken from 2215 residents over the age of 15 years; one-quarter had Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae. Prevalence increased with age and was higher overall among men than women. The age-adjusted prevalence among migrants from Thyolo was 31%. Among residents who had never been outside Mwanza, the gender-specific prevalences and microfilarial loads were similar. The intensity of infection was low. Autochthonous transmission of O. volvulus has thus been demonstrated in Mwanza and illustrates the possibility of the spread of the disease to new foci in Malawi and the surrounding countries, due to significant population shifts.

To define an effective and deliverable antimalarial regimen for use during pregnancy, pregnant women at highest risk of malaria (those in their first or second pregnancy) in an area of Malawi with high transmission of chloroquine (CQ)-resistant Plasmodium falciparum were placed on CQ and/or sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP). Of 38 pregnant women who received CQ treatment followed by weekly CQ prophylaxis (CQ/CQ) for at least 45 days prior to delivery, 32% had placental malaria infection, compared with 26% of 50 pregnant women who received a treatment dose of SP followed by weekly CQ prophylaxis (SP/CQ), and only 9% of 71 pregnant women who received a two-dose SP regimen (SP/SP; given once during the second trimester and repeated at the beginning of the third trimester) (P = 0.006, by chi-square test). During the peak transmission season from April to July, 47% of the women who received CQ/CQ had placental malaria infection at delivery, as compared with 37% of the women who received SP/CQ, and 10% of women who received SP/SP (P = 0.004, by chi-square test). Among women in their first or second pregnancy, two treatment doses of SP were highly effective in decreasing the proportion of women with placental malaria infection at delivery.

A malaria knowledge, attitudes and practices survey was conducted in Malawi during April and May, 1992, to provide policy makers and program managers with information needed to design or improve malaria control programs, to establish epidemiologic and behavioral baselines, and to identify indicators for monitoring program effectiveness. Using cluster-sample survey methodology, 1531 households, in 30 clusters of 51-52 households each, were identified and members interviewed. Interviews were conducted by trained survey teams composed of young Malawian women with secondary level education. Heads of households were asked about malaria prevention methods used and about household economics; caretakers of children were asked about treatment and health seeking behavior in a recent malaria episode in a child; and women who had been pregnant in the past 5 years were asked about their antenatal clinic utilization and malaria during pregnancy. Survey results will be used to make programmatic decisions, including developing health education messages and establishing monitoring and evaluation of malaria control activities and outcomes in Malawi.

Information on malaria prevention practices in households was obtained in a nation-wide knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey in Malawi. Of the 1,531 heads of household questioned, 55% were able to identify mosquitoes as the cause of malaria. Use of any type of malaria prevention method was reported by 52% of respondents. Among users, 47% used commercial products (insecticide, mosquito coils, bednets), and 64% used natural measures (burning leaves, dung, or wood); 11% used both. The most common commercial measure used was mosquito coils (16%) followed by insecticide spray (11%) and bednets (7%). Increasing household income and educational level of the household head were strongly correlated with use of commercial methods to prevent malaria; households with an income ranked moderate or greater were eight times more likely to have used a purchased product. Use of natural measures was correlated with lower income and educational level. Thirty-six percent of respondents reported having heard or seen information on malaria in the previous year. Use of household malaria preventive measures in Malawi is very low and income-dependent. Educational messages are required to improve understanding and use of affordable measures.

Information on women's use of antenatal clinic (ANC) service, including malaria prevention and treatment during pregnancy, was collected during a national malaria knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey in Malawi. Among 1531 households, 809 (53%) included a woman who had carried a pregnancy past the second trimester within the past 5 years. Of these, 756 (93%) women reported at least one ANC visit during pregnancy (median = 4); 336 (42%) attended 5 or more times. Approximately half (51%) reported delivering in a hospital; 5% delivered in a clinic; 13% delivered at home with a trained birth attendant; and 28% delivered at home with only family attending. Women at increased risk for delivery complications (e.g. primigravidas and grand multigravidas) were no more likely to attend ANC or deliver in hospital than women without increased risk. The woman's level of education was the only significant predictor of initiating ANC care, continued ANC attendance, and delivery in hospital. In a setting where 43% of women pregnant within the past 5 years had received no formal education and 70% had completed less than 5 years, this survey identified a critical need for targeting health messages towards poorly educated women to ensure proper utilization of antenatal care services, including coverage with malaria prevention throughout pregnancy.

Household heads were questioned about household income and household expenditures on the treatment or prevention of malaria in a nationwide malaria knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey conducted in Malawi in 1992. Very low income households with an average annual income of $68 constituted 52% of the sampled households. The primary income source for these households was farm production (92%), with the majority of goods produced consumed by the household and not available as discretionary income. Expenditure on malaria prevention varied with household income level. Only 4% of very low income households spent resources on malaria preventive measures compared to 16% of other households. In contrast, over 40% of all households, independent of income level, reported expenditures on malaria treatment. Almost half of the reported malaria cases sought treatment at a health facility at a cost of $0.21 per child case and $0.63 per adult case. The overall direct expenditure on treatment of malaria illness in household members was $19.13 per year (28% of annual income) among very low income households and $19.84 per year (2% of annual income) among low to high income households. The indirect cost of malaria, calculated on the basis of days of work lost, was $2.13 per year (3.1% of annual income) among very low income households and $20.61 per year (2.2% of annual income) among low to high income households. Very low income households carried a disproportionate share of the economic burden of malaria, with total direct and indirect cost of malaria among these households consuming 32% of annual household income compared to 4.2% among households in the low to high income categories.

A national knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey was conducted in March-April 1992 to examine malaria illness and the people's response to illness and malaria prevention. Fifty-one households in each of 30 randomly selected communities were sampled and information was recorded from 1,531 households and 7,025 individuals. The population is characterized by low income (average household and per capita income were US $490 and $122, respectively) and low education levels (among adult women, 45% had no formal education and only 3.9% completed more than 8 years of schooling). Characteristics of the population were similar to those found in the 1987 national census, suggesting that the survey population was representative of the larger population of Malawi. Children under 5 years of age made up 15.8% of the population and had the highest rates of fever illness; these children experienced an estimated 9.7 cases/year of fever illness consistent with malaria. Although adults reported fever less frequently, women of reproductive age experienced an estimated 6.9 episodes of fever annually. The burden of malaria morbidity in this population is extremely high and occurs in all age groups.

Caretakers of children (< 10 years of age) were questioned about management of pediatric malarial fever episodes in a nation-wide knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey conducted in Malawi. A total of 1,531 households in 30 randomly selected clusters of 51 households each were sampled and interviewed. Overall 557 caretakers reported a fever in their child in the previous 2 weeks; 43%-judged the illness as severe. Fifty-two percent of caretakers brought their febrile children to clinic. Clinic attendance was positively correlated with young age of the child (< 4 years), severe illness, and higher socioeconomic status. Seventy-four percent of clinic attenders gave their child an antimalarial; in contrast, only 42% of those not attending clinic gave an antimalarial. Optimal therapy (administration of an antimalarial promptly and at the proper dosage) was received by only 7% of febrile children. Children taken to clinic were twice as likely to receive optimal therapy as were non-attenders. Identification of critical points in the optimal therapy algorithm and characteristics of caretakers linked with sub-optimal therapy may help malaria control programs target specific groups and health education messages to improve treatment of malaria fever episodes.

In a double blind study, the Teesdale glass sandwich and Kato-Katz techniques were compared for the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni. From each of five stool specimens, six slide preparations were made by each method, and each slide was read independently by two readers. Examination of the differences in the number of eggs per slide by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed no significant differences between methods, readers, or slides prepared from the same specimen at the 90% level of significance.