Clinical and parasitological profiles of gestational, placental and congenital malaria in northwestern Colombia

• Published in: Tropical medicine and infectious disease Vol. 8; no. 6; pp. 1 - 11
• Main Authors: Jaiberth Antonio Cardona-Arias, Luis Felipe Higuita-Gutierrez, Jaime Carmona-Fonseca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland MDPI 25-05-2023; MDPI AG
• Subjects: Anemia; Asymptomatic; Birth weight; Clinical outcomes; clinical symptoms; Comparative analysis; Complications; Congenital diseases; Diagnosis; Diseases; Genetic disorders; Infection; Infections; Malaria; Malaria in pregnancy; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; neonate; Parasites; Placenta; Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Umbilical cord; Womens health; Colombia; Plasmodium; placenta; neonate; malaria; clinical symptoms; pregnancy
• ISSN: 2414-6366; 2414-6366
• DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8060292

This study compared the clinical-parasitological profiles of gestational (GM), placental (PM), and congenital (CM) malaria in northwestern Colombia. A cross-sectional study with 829 pregnant women, 549 placentas, and 547 newborns was conducted. The frequency of GM was 35.8%, PM 20.9%, and CM 8.5%. 'P. vivax' predominated in GM; in PM, the proportion of 'P. vivax' and 'P. falciparum' was similar; in CM, 'P. falciparum' predominated. The main clinical findings were headache (49%), anemia (32%), fever (24%), and musculoskeletal pain (13%). The clinical manifestations were statistically higher in 'P. vivax' infections. In submicroscopic GM (positive with qPCR and negative with thick blood smear), the frequency of anemia, sore throat, and a headache was statistically higher compared with pregnant women without malaria. GM, PM, and CM reduce birth weight and head circumference. In Colombia, this is the first research on the clinical characteristics of GM, PM, and CM; contrary to evidence from other countries, 'P. vivax' and submicroscopic infections are associated with clinical outcomes.