Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of the Study Population, According to Malaria Clinical Group
| Group 1: RDT-Negative Controls | Group 2: Asymptomatic Carriers | Group 3: Uncomplicated Malaria | Group 4: Severe Malaria | Group 5: Severe Malaria | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | (n = 49) | (n = 172) | (n = 285) | (n = 226) | (n = 703) |
| Female sex | 20 (41) | 91 (53) | 141 (49) | 125 (55) | 339 (48) |
| Age, y | 2.3 (1.5–3.6) | 3.2 (2.3–4.1) | 2.8 (1.9–4.0) | 1.7 (1.1–2.6) | 2.2 (1.2–3.1) |
| Weight-for-age z scorea | −1.6 ± 0.7 | −1.6 ± 0.7 | NA | −1.5 ± 1.1 | −1.1 ± 1.2 |
| Temperature, °C | 36.4 ± 0.4 | 36.5 ± 0.4 | 37.9 ± 1.3 | 38.0 ± 1.1 | 38.1 ± 1.0 |
| Hemoglobin concentration,b g/dL | 11.3 (10.4–11.9) | 10.3 (9.3–11.2) | 9.8 (8.9–10.8) | 4.8 (3.7–6.4) | 6.5 (4.4–8.2) |
| Slide positive for P. falciparum | 1 (2.0) | 118 (68.6) | 275 (96.5) | 208 (92.0) | 701 (99.7) |
| Parasitemia, parasites/µL | |||||
| Geometric mean (95% CI) | 145 | 1602 (1189–2157) | 29 836 (24 390–36 498) | 28 187 (22 312–35 607) | 46 619 (39 476–55 054) |
| Range | … | 19–35471 | 96–1 448 094 | 221–626 431 | 16–1 375 069 |
| PfHRP2 concentration,c ng/mL | |||||
| Geometric mean (95% CI) | 4 (1–11) | 19 (15–23) | 163 (137–194) | 1510 (1180–1933) | 1746 (1577–1934) |
| Range | 1–29 | 1–546 | 3–4343 | 4–87 199 | 5–56 818 |
Data are no. (%) of children, mean ± SD, or median (interquartile range), unless otherwise specified.
Abbreviations: CI, credible interval; NA, not available; P. falciparum, Plasmodium falciparum; PfHRP2, P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2; RDT, rapid diagnostic test.
a Data were missing for 7 children in group 4 and 1 child in group 5.
b Data were missing for 1 child in group 1, 3 children in group 2, and 2 children in group 5.
c Data are for individuals with detectable concentrations (8 in group 1, 156 in group 2, 269 in group 3, 222 in group 4, and 698 in group 5).