The use of untreated bednets and malaria infection, morbidity and immunity

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_AEE3170CAE4E
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The use of untreated bednets and malaria infection, morbidity and immunity
Journal
Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology
Author(s)
Genton  B., Hii  J., al-Yaman  F., Paru  R., Beck  H. P., Ginny  M., Dagoro  H., Lewis  D., Alpers  M. P.
ISSN
0003-4983 (Print)
Publication state
Published
Issued date
06/1994
Volume
88
Number
3
Pages
263-70
Notes
Journal Article
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. --- Old month value: Jun
Abstract
The effect of bednet use was investigated, without undertaking a specific intervention, in four cross-sectional community-based surveys in 10 villages of a highly endemic area of Papua New Guinea. Over half (55%) of the villagers interviewed reported that they had used a bednet on the previous night. In general and after adjustment for age, village and housing characteristics, bednet users, particularly children, had lower parasite prevalences and spleen rates and less enlarged spleens than non-users. However, users were similar to non-users in terms of fever reported for the previous week, axillary temperature, parasite density and haemoglobin level. The prevalence of antibody to the ring erythrocyte surface antigen and the major merozoite surface antigen 2 was lower in users than non-users. The association with malariometric indices and immune responses remained significant when bednet users were compared with non-users in houses without bednets. Thus, untreated bednets do not reduce malaria transmission sufficiently to decrease morbidity. They might paradoxically increase the risk of clinical malaria by lowering the development of humoral immunity.
Keywords
Adolescent Adult Animals Anopheles/physiology Antibodies, Protozoan/analysis *Bedding and Linens Child Cross-Sectional Studies Humans *Insect Vectors Insecticides Malaria/epidemiology/immunology/*prevention & control Morbidity Papua New Guinea/epidemiology Rural Health Spleen/parasitology
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
28/01/2008 12:48
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:18
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