Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) or placental malaria is a presentation of the common illness that is particularly life-threatening to both mother and developing fetus.[1] PAM is caused primarily by infection with Plasmodium falciparum,[1][2] the most dangerous of the four species of malaria-causing parasites that infect humans.[3] During pregnancy, a woman faces a much higher risk of contracting malaria and of associated complications.[4] Prevention and treatment of malaria are essential components of prenatal care in areas where the parasite is endemic – tropical and subtropical geographic areas.[5][6] Placental malaria has also been demonstrated to occur in animal models, including in rodent and non-human primate models.[7]
While the average adult citizen of an endemic region possesses some immunity to the parasite,[8] pregnancy causes complications that leave the woman and fetus extremely vulnerable.[1] The parasite interferes with transmission of vital substances through the fetal placenta,[1][9] often resulting in stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, or dangerously low birth weight.[1] The tragedy of malaria in developing countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, receives abundant attention from the international health community, but until recently PAM and its unique complications were not adequately addressed.[6]
- ^ a b c d e Srivastava A, Gangnard S, Round A, Dechavanne S, Juillerat A, Raynal B, et al. (March 2010). "Full-length extracellular region of the var2CSA variant of PfEMP1 is required for specific, high-affinity binding to CSA". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 107 (11): 4884–9. Bibcode:2010PNAS..107.4884S. doi:10.1073/pnas.1000951107. PMC 2841952. PMID 20194779.
- Lay summary in: "Malaria in pregnant women: Step towards a new vaccine". Science Daily (Press release). March 12, 2010.
- ^ "CDC-Malaria-Malaria Parasites". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019-01-28.
- ^ Perlmann P, Troye-Blomberg M (2000). "Malaria blood-stage infection and its control by the immune system". Folia Biologica. 46 (6): 210–8. PMID 11140853.
- ^ "Lives at Risk: Malaria in Pregnancy". WHO. Archived from the original on May 7, 2003. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ Duffy PE, Fried M (2005). "Malaria in the Pregnant Woman". Malaria: Drugs, Disease and Post-genomic Biology. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology. Vol. 295. pp. 169–200. doi:10.1007/3-540-29088-5_7. ISBN 978-3-540-25363-1. PMID 16265891.
- ^ a b "Roll Back Malaria: Malaria in Pregnancy". WHO. Archived from the original on 6 August 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ Doritchamou J, Teo A, Fried M, Duffy PE (2019). "Malaria in pregnancy: the relevance of animal models for vaccine development". Lab Animal. 46 (10): 388–398. doi:10.1038/laban.1349. PMC 6771290. PMID 28984865.
- ^ Doolan DL, Dobaño C, Baird JK (January 2009). "Acquired immunity to malaria". Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 22 (1): 13–36, Table of Contents. doi:10.1128/CMR.00025-08. PMC 2620631. PMID 19136431.
- ^ Matteelli A, Caligaris S, Castelli F, Carosi G (October 1997). "The placenta and malaria". Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. 91 (7): 803–10. doi:10.1080/00034989760563. PMID 9625937.