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Molecular Diagnostic Tools and Malaria Elimination: A Review on Solutions at Hand, Challenges Ahead and Breakthroughs Needed

Received: 10 January 2023    Accepted: 14 March 2023    Published: 24 March 2023
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Abstract

Malaria is a serious public health problem worldwide. Globally concerted efforts are underway to control and eliminate it. Despite recent slowdown, substantial achievements have been recorded in the last 20 years. However, its eradication requires successful elimination of all Plasmodium parasites among symptomatic, asymptomatic, and sub-microscopic infections. This review is aimed at assessing the role of molecular diagnostic tools in malaria elimination. Quality assured malaria diagnosis is fundamental to control and elimination of malaria. High-throughput molecular diagnostic tools are important for the diagnosis, and monitoring of interventions to mitigate malaria. Molecular techniques such as real-time PCR, LAMP, nPCR, RT-PCR, multiplex-PCR, NASBA, and CLIP-PCR have been instrumental for malaria control and elimination. They enabled the detection and identification of symptomatic, asymptomatic, and sub-microscopic parasitemia. They are also important in the discovery, and development of drugs. Despite their tremendous contribution and immense potential, they are not readily available in malaria-endemic settings, fail to detect hypnozoites and infectious gametocytes as well as not sufficiently optimized for fieldwork. Those challenges might delay malaria elimination thereby threatening the quest to reach the goal of a malaria-free world by 2050. Therefore, we need novel tools fit for field application and for detecting hypnozoites, infectious gametocytes, and in vitro analysis of Plasmodium vivax.

Published in International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences (Volume 9, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijcems.20230901.12
Page(s) 7-20
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Malaria Elimination, Recurrence, Molecular Diagnostic Tools, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Plasmodium

References
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    Aklilu Alemayehu. (2023). Molecular Diagnostic Tools and Malaria Elimination: A Review on Solutions at Hand, Challenges Ahead and Breakthroughs Needed. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences, 9(1), 7-20. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20230901.12

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    Aklilu Alemayehu. Molecular Diagnostic Tools and Malaria Elimination: A Review on Solutions at Hand, Challenges Ahead and Breakthroughs Needed. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Med. Sci. 2023, 9(1), 7-20. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcems.20230901.12

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    Aklilu Alemayehu. Molecular Diagnostic Tools and Malaria Elimination: A Review on Solutions at Hand, Challenges Ahead and Breakthroughs Needed. Int J Clin Exp Med Sci. 2023;9(1):7-20. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcems.20230901.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijcems.20230901.12,
      author = {Aklilu Alemayehu},
      title = {Molecular Diagnostic Tools and Malaria Elimination: A Review on Solutions at Hand, Challenges Ahead and Breakthroughs Needed},
      journal = {International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences},
      volume = {9},
      number = {1},
      pages = {7-20},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijcems.20230901.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20230901.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcems.20230901.12},
      abstract = {Malaria is a serious public health problem worldwide. Globally concerted efforts are underway to control and eliminate it. Despite recent slowdown, substantial achievements have been recorded in the last 20 years. However, its eradication requires successful elimination of all Plasmodium parasites among symptomatic, asymptomatic, and sub-microscopic infections. This review is aimed at assessing the role of molecular diagnostic tools in malaria elimination. Quality assured malaria diagnosis is fundamental to control and elimination of malaria. High-throughput molecular diagnostic tools are important for the diagnosis, and monitoring of interventions to mitigate malaria. Molecular techniques such as real-time PCR, LAMP, nPCR, RT-PCR, multiplex-PCR, NASBA, and CLIP-PCR have been instrumental for malaria control and elimination. They enabled the detection and identification of symptomatic, asymptomatic, and sub-microscopic parasitemia. They are also important in the discovery, and development of drugs. Despite their tremendous contribution and immense potential, they are not readily available in malaria-endemic settings, fail to detect hypnozoites and infectious gametocytes as well as not sufficiently optimized for fieldwork. Those challenges might delay malaria elimination thereby threatening the quest to reach the goal of a malaria-free world by 2050. Therefore, we need novel tools fit for field application and for detecting hypnozoites, infectious gametocytes, and in vitro analysis of Plasmodium vivax.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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    AU  - Aklilu Alemayehu
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    T2  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
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    AB  - Malaria is a serious public health problem worldwide. Globally concerted efforts are underway to control and eliminate it. Despite recent slowdown, substantial achievements have been recorded in the last 20 years. However, its eradication requires successful elimination of all Plasmodium parasites among symptomatic, asymptomatic, and sub-microscopic infections. This review is aimed at assessing the role of molecular diagnostic tools in malaria elimination. Quality assured malaria diagnosis is fundamental to control and elimination of malaria. High-throughput molecular diagnostic tools are important for the diagnosis, and monitoring of interventions to mitigate malaria. Molecular techniques such as real-time PCR, LAMP, nPCR, RT-PCR, multiplex-PCR, NASBA, and CLIP-PCR have been instrumental for malaria control and elimination. They enabled the detection and identification of symptomatic, asymptomatic, and sub-microscopic parasitemia. They are also important in the discovery, and development of drugs. Despite their tremendous contribution and immense potential, they are not readily available in malaria-endemic settings, fail to detect hypnozoites and infectious gametocytes as well as not sufficiently optimized for fieldwork. Those challenges might delay malaria elimination thereby threatening the quest to reach the goal of a malaria-free world by 2050. Therefore, we need novel tools fit for field application and for detecting hypnozoites, infectious gametocytes, and in vitro analysis of Plasmodium vivax.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 1
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Author Information
  • School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

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