Abstract
A total of 1622 individuals of all ages living under conditions of continuous malarial transmission in Liberia were enrolled in a cross-sectional study of parasite rates, positive parasite densities, and body temperatures. The age-specific Plasmodium falciparum-positive parasite densities were greatest at ages 0.5-1.0 year, then slowly declined into adulthood. The age-specific mean body temperature at parasite isodensity showed a steady decline even in the oldest age group. The results do not support the hypothesis that adults have higher body temperatures at a given parasite density than do children with the same parasite density. The age-specific P. falciparum parasite density for specific isotemperatures showed that a subgroup of children in the age group 0.5-1.0 year had low temperatures (less than 36.5 degrees C) despite high parasite densities. This indicates that low body temperature should be investigated further as a possible indicator of serious malaria in young children. Parasitologic and clinical immunity develops concomitantly and cannot be separated. The findings do not support the hypothesis that a special "anti-disease" immunity exists independently of parasitologic immunity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | The Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| Volume | 164 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Pages (from-to) | 949-53 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| ISSN | 0022-1899 |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 1991 |
Keywords
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Body Temperature
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Female
- Humans
- Infant
- Malaria, Falciparum/immunology
- Male
- Plasmodium falciparum/growth & development
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/immunology
