Objectives. Review of burden of congenital transmission of malaria, challenges of preventive measures, and implications for health system strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. Literature from Pubmed (MEDLINE), Biomed central, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Database were reviewed. Results. The prevalence of congenital malaria in sub-Saharan Africa ranges from 0 to 23%. Diagnosis and existing preventive measures are constantly hindered by weak health systems and sociocultural issues. WHO strategic framework for prevention: intermittent preventive therapy (IPT), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), and case management of malaria illness and anaemia remain highly promising; though, specific interventions are required to strengthen the health systems in order to improve the effectiveness of these measures. Conclusion. Congenital malaria remains a public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Overcoming the challenges of the preventive measures hinges on the ability of national governments and development partners in responding to the weak health systems.

Kayode O. Osungbade

Olubunmi O. Oladunjoye

Prevention of Congenital Transmission of Malaria in Sub-Saharan African Countries: Challenges and Implications for Health System Strengthening

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic Chagas&#39; disease agent, induces changes in protein pattern of the human placenta syncytiotrophoblast. The glucose transporter protein-1 (GLUT1) is the primary isoform involved in transplacental glucose transport. We carried out in vitro assays to determine if T. cruzi infection would induce changes in placental GLUT1 protein expression under normal and high concentration of glucose. Using Western blot and immunohistological techniques, GLUT1 expression was determined in normal placental villi cultured under normal or high concentrations of glucose, with or without in vitro T. cruzi infection, for 24 and 48&#x2009;hours. High glucose media or T. cruzi infection alone reduced GLUT1 expression. A yet more accentuated reduction was observed when infection and high glucose condition took place together. We inform, for the first time, that T. cruzi infection may induce reduction of GLUT1 expression under normal and high glucose concentrations, and this effect is synergic to high glucose concentrations.

Luciana Mezzano

Gast&#243;n Repossi

Ricardo E. Fretes

Susana Lin

Mar&#237;a Jos&#233; Sartori

Sof&#237;a G. Parisi de Fabro

In Vitro Infection of Trypanosoma cruzi Causes Decrease in Glucose Transporter Protein-1 (GLUT1) Expression in Explants of Human Placental Villi Cultured under Normal and High Glucose Concentrations

Leishmaniasis is a protozoan parasitic disease endemic to the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with three major clinical forms, self-healing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL), and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Drug treatments are expensive and often result in the development of drug resistance. No vaccine is available against leishmaniasis. Subunit Leishmania vaccine immunization in animal models has shown some efficacy but little or none in humans. However, individuals who recover from natural infection are protected from reinfection and develop life-long protection, suggesting that infection may be a prerequisite for immunological memory. Thus, genetically altered live-attenuated parasites with controlled infectivity could achieve such memory. In this paper, we discuss development and characteristics of genetically altered, live-attenuated Leishmania donovani parasites and their possible use as vaccine candidates against VL. In addition, we discuss the challenges and other considerations in the use of live-attenuated parasites.

Angamuthu Selvapandiyan

Ranadhir Dey

Sreenivas Gannavaram

Ines Lakhal-Naouar

Robert Duncan

Poonam Salotra

Hira L. Nakhasi

Immunity to Visceral Leishmaniasis Using Genetically Defined Live-Attenuated Parasites

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease resulting in a global morbidity of 2,090 thousand Disability-Adjusted Life Years and a mortality rate of approximately 60,000 per year. Among the three clinical forms of leishmaniasis (cutaneous, mucosal, and visceral), visceral leishmaniasis (VL) accounts for the majority of mortality, as if left untreated VL is almost always fatal. Caused by infection with Leishmania donovani or L. infantum, VL represents a serious public health problem in endemic regions and is rapidly emerging as an opportunistic infection in HIV patients. To date, no vaccine exists for VL or any other form of leishmaniasis. In endemic areas, the majority of those infected do not develop clinical symptoms and past infection leads to robust immunity against reinfection. Thus the development of vaccine for Leishmania is a realistic public health goal, and this paper summarizes advances in vaccination strategies against VL.

Krystal J. Evans

Lukasz Kedzierski

Development of Vaccines against Visceral Leishmaniasis

The study was designed to determine the true prevalence of congenital, cord, and placental malaria in General Hospital Minna, North Central Nigeria. Peripheral blood smears of near-term pregnant women, as well as the placental, cord, and peripheral blood smears of their newborn babies, were examined for malaria parasites, using the Giemsa staining technique. Out of 152 pregnant women screened, 21 (13.82&#x25;) of them were infected with malaria parasites. Of the 152 new born babies, 4 (2.63&#x25;) showed positive peripheral parasitaemia. Placental parasitaemia was 7/152 (4.61&#x25;), while cord blood parasitaemia was 9/152 (5.92&#x25;). There were strong associations between peripheral and cord malaria parasitaemia and congenital malaria (<svg style="vertical-align:-0.30096pt;width:56.150002px;" id="M1" height="11.25" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 56.150002 11.25" width="56.150002" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	<g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,11.25)">
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			</text>

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</svg>). Plasmodium falciparum occurred in all, and none had mixed infection. The average birth weights of the babies delivered of nonmalarious pregnant women were higher than those delivered by malarious pregnant women, though not significant (<svg style="vertical-align:-0.30096pt;width:56.150002px;" id="M2" height="11.25" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 56.150002 11.25" width="56.150002" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
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				<tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="10.890113" y="0">&gt;</tspan>
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			</text>

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</svg>). Malaria parasitaemia occurred more frequently in primigravidae than multigravidae.

Innocent Chukwuemeka James Omalu

Charles Mgbemena

Amaka Mgbemena

Victoria Ayanwale

Israel Kayode Olayemi

Adeniran Lateef

Victoria I. Chukwuemeka

Prevalence of Congenital Malaria in Minna, North Central Nigeria

Leishmaniasis has reemerged in recent years showing a wider geographic distribution and increased global incidence of human and canine disease than previously known. Dogs are the main domestic/peridomestic reservoir hosts of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum. Since the evolution of leishmaniasis and clinical appearance is a consequence of complex interactions between the parasite and host immune response, a profound knowledge about the immune profile developed in dog&#39;s infection is crucial for vaccine and immunomodulatory therapy design. The main goal of this paper is to compile the recent advances made on cytokine and phenotypic cell profiles in different tissues and organs of dogs infected with L. infantum. This paper also stressed that the knowledge of the immune responses developed, namely, in liver, lymph node, and spleen is very limited. All data emphasizes that more research on canine leishmaniasis is necessary for the development of new and efficacious tools to control zoonotic leishmaniasis.

Carla Maia

Lenea Campino

Cytokine and Phenotypic Cell Profiles of Leishmania infantum Infection in the Dog

Immunity to pathogens requires generation of effective innate and adaptive immune responses. Leishmania donovani evades these host defense mechanisms to survive and persist in the host. A better understanding and identification of mechanisms that L. donovani employs for its survival is critical for developing novel therapeutic interventions that specifically target the parasite. This paper will highlight some of the mechanisms that the parasite utilizes for its persistence and also discuss how the immune response is regulated.

Rashmi Bankoti

Simona Stäger

Differential Regulation of the Immune Response in the Spleen and Liver of Mice Infected with Leishmania donovani

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Journal of Tropical Medicine publishes articles on all aspects of tropical diseases. Topics include pathology, diagnosis and treatment, parasites and their hosts, epidemiology, and public health issues.

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Journal of Tropical Medicine publishes articles on all aspects of tropical diseases. Topics include pathology, diagnosis and treatment, parasites and their hosts, epidemiology, and public health issues.

Journal of Tropical Medicine