Molecular Epidemiology of Plasmodium Species In
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ISSN 1519-6984 (Print) ISSN 1678-4375 (Online) THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON NEOTROPICAL BIOLOGY THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY AND ENVIRONMENT Original Article Molecular Epidemiology of Plasmodium species in Conflicted Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) Pakistan Epidemiologia molecular de espécies de plasmódio em área tribal sob administração federal em conflito do Paquistão M. F. Nadeema , A. A. Khattakb* , N. Zeeshana* , U. A. Awanb , S. Alamc , W. Ahmedc , S. Guld, A. Afroza , K. Sughraa , U. Rashida and M. A. U. Khana aUniversity of Gujrat, Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan bThe University of Haripur, Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan cThe University of Haripur, Department of Microbiology, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan dNational University of Medical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan Abstract Military conflicts have been significant obstacles in detecting and treating infectious disease diseases due to the diminished public health infrastructure, resulting in malaria endemicity. A variety of violent and destructive incidents were experienced by FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). It was a struggle to pursue an epidemiological analysis due to continuing conflict and Talibanization. Clinical isolates were collected from Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai agencies from May 2017 to May 2018. For Giemsa staining, full blood EDTA blood samples have been collected from symptomatic participants. Malaria-positive microscopy isolates were spotted on filter papers for future Plasmodial molecular detection by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) of small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (ssrRNA) genes specific primers. Since reconfirming the nPCR, a malariometric study of 762 patients found 679 positive malaria cases. Plasmodium vivax was 523 (77%), Plasmodium falciparum 121 (18%), 35 (5%) were with mixed-species infection (P. vivax plus P. falciparum), and 83 were declared negative by PCR. Among the five agencies of FATA, Khyber agency has the highest malaria incidence (19%) with followed by P. vivax (19%) and P. falciparum (4.1%). In contrast, Kurram has about (14%), including (10.8%) P. vivax and (2.7%) P. falciparum cases, the lowest malaria epidemiology. Surprisingly, no significant differences in the distribution of mixed-species infection among all five agencies. P. falciparum and P. vivax were two prevalent FATA malaria species in Pakistan’s war-torn area. To overcome this rising incidence of malaria, this study recommends that initiating malaria awareness campaigns in school should be supported by public health agencies and malaria- related education locally, targeting children and parents alike. Keywords: FATA, Malaria, Pakistan, Molecular Epidemiology, Plasmodium, falciparum, vivax. Resumo Os conflitos militares têm sido obstáculos significativos na detecção e tratamento de doenças infecciosas devido à diminuição da infraestrutura de saúde pública, resultando na endemicidade da malária. Uma variedade de incidentes violentos e destrutivos foi vivida pelas FATA (áreas tribais administradas pelo governo federal). Foi uma luta buscar uma análise epidemiológica devido ao conflito contínuo e à talibanização. Isolados clínicos foram coletados de agências Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber e Orakzai, de maio de 2017 a maio de 2018. Para a coloração de Giemsa, amostras de sangue completo com EDTA foram coletadas de participantes sintomáticos. Isolados de microscopia positivos para malária foram colocados em papéis de filtro para futura detecção molecular plasmódica por reação em cadeia da polimerase aninhada (nPCR) de primers específicos de genes de subunidade ribossômica de ácido ribonucleico (ssrRNA). Desde a reconfirmação do nPCR, um estudo malariométrico de 762 pacientes encontrou 679 casos positivos de malária. Plasmodium vivax foi 523 (77%), Plasmodium falciparum 121 (18%), 35 (5%) eram com infecção de espécies mistas (P. vivax mais P. falciparum) e 83 foram declarados negativos por PCR. Entre as cinco agências da FATA, a agência Khyber tem a maior incidência de malária (19%), seguida por P. vivax (19%) e P. falciparum (4,1%). Em contraste, Kurram tem cerca de 14%, incluindo 10,8% casos de P. vivax e 2,7% P. falciparum, a epidemiologia de malária mais baixa. Surpreendentemente, não há diferenças significativas na distribuição da infecção de espécies mistas entre todas as cinco agências. P. falciparum e P. vivax foram duas espécies prevalentes de malária FATA na área devastada pela guerra no Paquistão. Para superar essa incidência crescente de malária, este estudo recomenda que o início de campanhas de conscientização sobre a malária na escola deve ser apoiado por agências de saúde pública e educação relacionada com a malária localmente, visando crianças e pais. Palavras-chave: FATA, Malária, Paquistão, Epidemiologia Molecular, Plasmodium, falciparum, vivax. *e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Received: January 4, 2021 – Accepted: March 29, 2021 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 2023, vol. 83, e247219 | https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.247219 1/7 Nadeem, M.F. et al. 1. Introduction introduce a successful antimalarial awareness campaign, especially in FATA and Balochistan. Malaria is the world’s most common arthropod- FATA covering about 27,220 km with approximately borne disease transmitted by the protozoa of the genus 4.45 million population, has a weak public health system Plasmodium responsible for the death of about 0.43 million and infrastructure due to political instability, militancy, deaths annually. About 228 million malaria cases, including and unrest situation for more than a decade (Nawaz 208 million at-risk persons, were reported globally in 2019, and de Borchgrave, 2009). Dreadfully, no molecular with around 0.7 million only from Pakistan. According to epidemiological experiments have been performed to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is startling that assess malaria’s actual status in the local population. Pakistan is one of the seven top countries in the Eastern This study provides the molecular epidemiology baseline Mediterranean, with P. vivax and P. falciparum as the parasitological information of malaria incidence and species prevalent species comprising 98% of malaria prevalence. distribution among different age groups and gender in five Moreover, the prevalence of Plasmodium species in this agencies of FATA, Pakistan. area varies from 75 to 85% P. vivax, 15 to 25% P. falciparum, and about 1% of both species’ mixed infections (Khan et al., 2020; Qureshi et al., 2020b; Khattak et al., 2013a). 2. Materials and Methods Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Region (FATA) was second on Pakistan’s malaria-metric scale, where FATA has a unique historical, political, and traditional biological, where ecological, environmental and human status since British times, and this system was inherited by Pakistan and is still working almost similarly with intervention primarily affects outbreaks of infectious a population of about 4.5 million. A semi-autonomous diseases. Militancy and political instability in FATA had tribal region in north western Pakistan since 1947 until devastating effects on the health systems of the region. being merged with KP province in the year 2018. FATA has Across the border, Afghan refugee movements and seven tribal agencies, now said as Tribal Districts (Khyber, internal migration of people from war-affected agencies Kurram, Orakzai, Mohmand, Bajaur, North, and South to neighboring areas, stuck in a vast number of temporary Waziristan), and Frontier Region (FR). Due to militancy, settlements and camps with rudimentary overcrowded migration of internally displaced people/immigrants, and dwellings; thus, increasing susceptibility to numerous military operations, this area has been deprived of health infectious and vector-borne diseases (Karim et al., 2016). care facilities and destroyed health infrastructure. Malaria was virtually eliminated from Afghanistan Monsoon season is peak malaria transmission season borders by the end of the 1970s due to malaria prevention is during (July to August) this time varies based on their programs (Gayer et al., 2007). However, by the end of parasite species. P. falciparum has a single peak that comes the military operations in FATA, an upsurge of malaria after the summer season. In contrast, P. vivax has two peaks was reported. According to a study, P. falciparum, which in a year in subtropical climates, which results in a malaria is already prevalent in Afghan refugees, and due to the relapse attack (Rowland et al., 1997). P. vivax reaches its massive influx of these migrants, a spike in the prevalence peak during the summertime, i.e., from June to September, of P. falciparum was observed in Pakistan (Murtaza et al., whereas P. falciparum is responsible for the disease during 2004; Sheikh et al., 2005). Few studies documented low late summer and winter, i.e., from August to December. immunity for refugees, rendering them more vulnerable In P. vivax, there is relapse peak seen due to transmission to malaria (Bouma et al., 1996; Khattak et al., 2013a). in the preceding year in the early summer (April to June). These factors may contribute to increased