Seasonal variations in Plasmodium falciparum parasite prevalence assessed by varying diagnostic tests in asymptomatic children in southern Ghana

Plasmodium falciparum infections presenting either as symptomatic or asymptomatic may contain sexual stage parasites (gametocytes) that are crucial to malaria transmission. In this study, the prevalence of microscopic and submicroscopic asexual and gametocyte parasite stages were assessed in asymptomatic children from two communities in southern Ghana. Eighty children aged twelve years and below, none of whom exhibited signs of clinical malaria living in Obom and Cape Coast were sampled twice, one during the rainy (July 2015) and subsequently during the dry (January 2016) season. Venous blood was used to prepare thick and thin blood smears, spot a rapid malaria diagnostic test (PfHRP2 RDT) as well as prepare filter paper blood spots. Blood cell pellets were preserved in Trizol for RNA extraction. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and semi-quantitative real time reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) were used to determine submicroscopic parasite prevalence. In both sites 87% (95% CI: 78–96) of the asymptomatic individuals surveyed were parasites positive during the 6 month study period. The prevalence of asexual and gametocyte stage parasites in the rainy season were both significantly higher in Obom than in Cape Coast (P < 0.001). Submicroscopic gametocyte prevalence was highest in the rainy season in Obom but in the dry season in Cape Coast. Parasite prevalence determined by PCR was similar to that determined by qRT-PCR in Obom but significantly lower than that determined by qRT-PCR in Cape Coast. Communities with varying parasite prevalence exhibit seasonal variations in the prevalence of gametocyte carriers. Submicroscopic asymptomatic parasite and gametocyte carriage is very high in southern Ghana, even during the dry season in communities with low microscopic parasite prevalence and likely to be missed during national surveillance exercises.