Age-Related Changes in Malaria Clinical Phenotypes During Infancy Are Modified by Sickle Cell Trait.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Infants are protected against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Mechanisms that drive this protection remain unclear due to a poor understanding of malaria clinical phenotypes during infancy.

Methods

We enrolled a birth cohort of 678 infants in Busia, Uganda, an area of high malaria transmission. We followed infants through 12 months of age and quantified protection against parasitemia and clinical disease.

Results

Symptomatic malaria incidence increased from 1.2 to 2.6 episodes per person-year between 0 and <6 months and between 6 and 12 months of age, while the monthly probability of asymptomatic parasitemia given infection decreased from 32% to 21%. Sickle cell trait (HbAS) was protective against symptomatic malaria (incidence rate ratio  = 0.57 comparing H

SUBMITTER: Zehner N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8599196 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature