Interactions between Gastrointestinal Nematodes and Malaria in a Cohort of Children in an Amazonian Village

J Trop Pediatr. 2017 Apr 1;63(2):144-147. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmw063.

Abstract

Introduction: Most studies on nematode-malaria interactions were conducted outside of the Americas. The objective of the present study was thus to study the relation between malaria and nematodes in a cohort of children in an Amazonian village.

Methods: Odds ratios for intestinal nematode infections as an explanatory variable to malaria resistant vs. malaria sensitive were computed.

Results: Ascaris lumbricoides was significantly more frequent in the 'resistant' malaria group than in the 'sensitive' one.

Conclusions: Despite its low statistical power, the present results find that Ascaris was associated with less malaria, as observed by a number of studies.

Keywords: Ascaris lumbricoides; French Guiana.; GI nematodes; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium vivax; relapses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ascariasis / diagnosis
  • Ascariasis / epidemiology*
  • Ascaris lumbricoides / isolation & purification
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • French Guiana / epidemiology
  • Helminthiasis / epidemiology*
  • Helminthiasis / parasitology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Malaria / epidemiology*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / epidemiology*
  • Malaria, Vivax / complications*
  • Male
  • Plasmodium falciparum / isolation & purification
  • Plasmodium vivax / isolation & purification