JUBO Diagnostics

WHY PEOPLE WITH THE HEMOGLOBIN GENOTYPE AA ARE MORE PRONE TO MALARIA
It has been observed that some people repeatedly go down with malaria more than others.
Some thought they are down due to spiritual attack from their village.
Malaria is a serious disease, which in the worst case may be fatal. It’s widespread in tropical and subtropical areas of mainly Sub-Saharan
Africa and South America.
From a global viewpoint, malaria constitutes an enormous health problem, with an estimated 200 million plus new cases a year and more than half a million deaths.
Malaria is a risk for 97% of Nigeria’s population.
There are an estimated 100 million malaria cases with over 300,000 deaths per year in Nigeria.

Research have shown that there is a relationship between genotype of an individual and the rate of malaria infection.
According to an assessment carried out at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Nigeria where children were screened for malaria parasitemia -falciparum malaria, blood group, hemoglobin genotypes.
Children with genotype AA (92.3%) were more susceptible to Malaria Parasite than AS (5.1%) and SS (2.6%).

People with the hemoglobin genotype AA are more prone to Malaria because:
>Malaria parasites have a high rate of oxygen consumption and ingest large amounts of hemoglobin, during the peripheral blood stage of replication. This makes the AA blood more conducive and malaria parasite thrives better in it.
>It is also observed that AA red blood cells have normal hemoglobin (both in structure and quantity) meaning a higher oxygen binding capacity -fueling the parasite’s replication process.

Research have also shown that being a sickle cell carrier such as haemoglobin genotype AS confers some protection against malaria parasite.
This is because, the Malaria Parasite (M.P) has a complex lifecycle and spends part of it in the Red blood cells.
In a sickle cell carrier, the presence of Malaria Parasite causes the Red blood cell with defective (abnormal) hemoglobin to rupture prematurely making the parasite unable to reproduce.
Further, the polymerization of hemoglobin affects the ability of the parasite to digest it in the first place. Therefore, in areas where malaria is a problem, people’s chances of survival actually increase if they carry sickle cell trait.
Abnormal hemoglobin AS red blood cells adhere to the parasite infected red cells much less readily than do the normal red cells AA.
The protective effect of sickle-cell trait does NOT apply to people with sickle cell disease-SS (the sufferers).
in fact they are more vulnerable to malaria, since the most common cause of painful crises in malarial countries is infection with malaria.

No vaccine has been approved to prevent malaria yet.

RECOMMENDATIONS
It’s recommended that all haemoglobin genotype individuals (AA, AS, SS) should take preventive measures for malaria
>Pregnant women and infants are discouraged by the World Health Organisation from travelling to malarious regions, because malaria increases the risk of abortion, premature birth, still-birth and maternal death.
>Always use mosquito repellent, such as cream and insecticide spray for all living and sleeping areas.
>Sleep under Insecticide-treated mosquito net, air condition, etc.
>It is recommended that people with sickle-cell disease living in malarial countries should receive anti-malarial chemoprophylaxis for life.
Consult your health care provider as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment when infected with malaria.
>Always Follow your doctors prescription carefully.
>It’s also recommended that malaria testing should be done by a certified medical laboratory scientist in a Medical Laboratory to properly identify the particular specie of malaria parasite for effective treatment.

from: CHRIS CHUKWU