Asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria prevalence among adolescents and adults in Malawi, 2015–2016

Abstract

Malaria remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Malawi, with an estimated 18-19% prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum in children 2-10 years in 2015-2016. While children report the highest rates of clinical disease, adults are thought to be an important reservoir to sustained transmission due to persistent asymptomatic infection. The 2015-2016 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey was a nationally representative household survey which collected dried blood spots from 15,125 asymptomatic individuals ages 15-54 between October 2015 and February 2016. We performed quantitative polymerase chain reaction on 7,393 samples, detecting an overall P. falciparum prevalence of 31.1% (SE = 1.1). Most infections (55.6%) had parasitemias ≤ 10 parasites/µL. While 66.2% of individuals lived in a household that owned a bed net, only 36.6% reported sleeping under a long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN) the previous night. Protective factors included urbanicity, greater wealth, higher education, and lower environmental temperatures. Living in a household with a bed net (prevalence difference 0.02, 95% CI - 0.02 to 0.05) and sleeping under an LLIN (0.01; - 0.02 to 0.04) were not protective against infection. Our findings demonstrate a higher parasite prevalence in adults than published estimates among children. Understanding the prevalence and distribution of asymptomatic infection is essential for targeted interventions.