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All Profiles

Dr Marc Christian Tahita

Call Career Development Fellowship (CDF)
Programme EDCTP2
Start Date 2019-09-01
End Date 2023-01-31
Project Code TMA2018CDF-2397
Status Active

Title

Operational feasibility, impact of additional screening using highly-sensitives Rapid Diagnostic Tests combined with high coverage of IPTp-SP on placental malaria and low birth weight (ASSER Malaria)

Objectives

1. To determine the gain of additional screening with HS-RDTs and treatment with DP against placental malaria, LBW and peripheral malaria infection at delivery 2.To assess the determinants of the poor coverage and improve the number of IPTp doses received using phone call or SMS as a reminder

Host Organisation

Institution Country
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST) - Institut de Recherche en Science de la Santé (IRSS) Burkina Faso

Study Design

This study is a phase III, 2-arms randomized open trial with a nested study study (qualitative social behavioral study) to be carried out in Nanoro district.

Sites

Sanitary District of Nanoro

Students Supervised

Type Name Title University Start Date End Date
Medical Doctor Sanou Hyacinthe Evaluation de la performance du Test de Diagnostic Rapide AlereTM Malaria Ag Pf ultrasensible pour le diagnostic du paludisme chez la femme enceinte en zone de haute transmission : Cas du district sanitaire de Nanoro au Burkina Faso University Joseph Ki Zerbo 2020 2021
Medical Doctor Miningou P. Aristide Bactériémies dans le District Sanitaire de Nanoro: Pathogènes principaux et profil de sensibilité aux antibiotiques University Joseph Ki Zerbo 2020 2021
Doctor in Pharmacy Sougue Melika Profil épidémiologique du paludisme à P falciparum chez la femme enceinte lors de la première consultation prénatale et facteurs de risque associés University Joseph Ki Zerbo 2021 2022
Doctor in Pharmacy Zoma Nadège Séroprévalence de la toxoplasmose chez les femmes enceintes et facteurs de risques associés en milieu rural au Burkina Faso : cas du district sanitaire de Nanoro University Joseph Ki Zerbo 2021 2022
Master in Epidemiology Lougue Medina Performance du test de diagnostic rapide ultrasensible AlereTM Malaria Plasmodium falciparum chez la femme enceinte au cours de la première consultation prénatale dans le district sanitaire de Nanoro University Joseph Ki Zerbo 2021 2022
Master In Socio-anthropology Ouedraogo Kadija Factors affecting pregnant women's adherence to intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in the Nanoro health district Université Catholique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest 2021 2022

Current Organisation

Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro/IRSS-DRCO/CNRST

Current Job Title

Research Associate

Awards

2020 Small Grant Foundation Mérieux (Malaria in Pregnancy at first ANC)

Students Supervised

Type Name Title University Start Date End Date
Medical Doctor Sanou Hyacinthe Université Ouaga 1 Joseph Ki-Zerbo 2020

Memberships

Role Committee/board Start Date End Date

Education

Institution Degree Year
University of Ouaga 1, Burkina Faso Doctor in Pharmacy 2005-06-30
Polytechnic University of Bobo, Burkina Faso Master in Applied Biology and Modelling of Biological Systems 2008-06-30
University of Antwerp, Belgium PhD in Medical Sciences 2017-05-09
UKAS, United Kingdom Auditor ISO 15189 2020-09-17
Fondation Mérieux, France Expert in Clinical Lab Quality Management 2021-02-09

Areas Of Specialisation

Malaria Neglected Infectious Diseases (NID) Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTIs) Diarrhoeal Diseases (DDs)

Grants

Investigation des déterminants de l’anémie chez la femme enceinte en milieu tropicale : étude cas-témoin
Grant Code:
FONRID 2021
Source of funding:
Fonds National de la Recherche et de l'Innovation pour la Recherche
Amount:
23000
Role:
Principal Investigator
Start Date:
2021-01-01
End Date:
2023-01-01
Amélioration de la détection et prise en charge précoce de l’infection palustre, de la toxoplasmose et de la rubéole en début de grossesse au Burkina Faso
Grant Code:
Small grant 2020
Source of funding:
Fondation Mérieux
Amount:
5000
Role:
Principal Investigator
Start Date:
2020-01-01
End Date:
2021-01-01

Publications

Accuracy of a Plasmodium falciparum specific histidine-rich protein 2 rapid diagnostic test in the context of the presence of non-malaria fevers, prior anti-malarial use and seasonal malaria transmission
Authors:
Date:
2017-12-01
Journal:
Malaria Journal
Content:
Longitudinal estimation of Plasmodium falciparum prevalence in relation to malaria prevention measures in six sub-Saharan African countries
Authors:
Date:
2017-12-01
Journal:
Malaria Journal
Content:
Characterization of Hepatitis Delta Virus in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors:
Date:
2014-05-01
Journal:
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Content:
Towards Improving Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Non-malaria Febrile Illness: A Metabolomics Approach
Authors:
Date:
2016-03-04
Journal:
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Content:
Can clinical signs or symptoms combined with basic hematology data be used to predict the presence of bacterial infections in febrile children under - 5 years?
Authors:
Date:
2018-12-01
Journal:
BMC Pediatrics
Content:
Genetic Characterization of HPAI (H5N1) Viruses from Poultry and Wild Vultures, Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2007-04-01
Journal:
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Content:
Artemisinin-based combination therapy during pregnancy: outcome of pregnancy and infant mortality: a cohort study
Authors:
Date:
2019-12-01
Journal:
Malaria Journal
Content:
Increase in the prevalence of mutations associated with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected from early to late pregnancy in Nanoro, Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2017-12-01
Journal:
Malaria Journal
Content:
Impact and operational feasibility of adding malaria infection screening using an ultrasensitive RDT for placental and fetal outcomes in an area of high IPTP-SP coverage in Burkina Faso: the ASSER MALARIA pilot study protocol
Authors:
Halidou Tinto
Date:
2022-09-29
Journal:
Pilot and Feasibility Studies
Content:

Background: Malaria infection during pregnancy (MIP) is not only deleterious to the woman, but it also puts her fetus at increased risk of adverse outcomes, such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth retardation. Additionally, all-cause mortality during the first year of life in babies born to women with malaria during pregnancy is also increased. Many interventions such as IPTp-SP and long-lasting insecticidal nets have proven to be efficient at reducing malaria in pregnancy burden but adherence to recommended policies remains poor. In sub- Saharan Africa, malaria in pregnancy is often asymptomatic and many malaria infections may be missed due to the inadequate performance of the current rapid diagnostic test to detect low-level parasitemias. Therefore, additional strategies such as intermittent screening with ultrasensitive rapid diagnostic tests and treatment with an effective artemisinin-based combination therapy in addition to IPTp-SP could reduce placental malaria, peripheral malaria infection at delivery, and low birth weight.

Methods: This pilot 2-group randomized open trial with a nested qualitative social behavioral will be carried out
in Nanoro district in which 340 pregnant women will be recruited. Pregnant women will be randomized into two groups and followed on a monthly basis until delivery. In the intervention group, monthly screening using ultrasensi- tive rapid diagnostic tests and treatment of those found to be infected with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine will be performed. In addition, a reminder will be sent to increase the uptake of IPTp-SP doses per woman. During scheduled and unscheduled visits, malaria infection, hemoglobin level, and other clinical outcomes will be assessed and com- pared by the group. The primary feasibility outcome will evaluate the study site’s capacity to enroll participants and

the women’s perception and acceptability of the intervention. The primary clinical outcome will be the prevalence of placental malaria at delivery.

Discussion: The present protocol aims to evaluate the feasibility on a large-scale and also to demonstrate the impact and the operational feasibility of additional screening with ultrasensitive rapid diagnostic tests and treatment with DHA-PQ on placental malaria, low birth weight, and peripheral malaria infection at delivery in a high-burden setting in Burkina Faso.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT04147546 (14 October 2019).
Keywords: Malaria in pregnancy, IPTp, Intermittent screening and treatment, Ultrasensitive RDTs, Placental malaria

 

Ex vivo anti-malarial drug susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from pregnant women in an area of highly seasonal transmission in Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2015-12-01
Journal:
Malaria Journal
Content:
Population-based incidence, seasonality and serotype distribution of invasive salmonellosis among children in Nanoro, rural Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2017-07-10
Journal:
PLOS ONE
Content:
Phylogenomic Analysis Reveals an Asian Origin for African Burkholderia pseudomallei and Further Supports Melioidosis Endemicity in Africa
Authors:
Date:
2016-04-27
Journal:
mSphere
Content:
ABSTRACT Burkholderia pseudomallei , an environmental bacterium that causes the deadly disease melioidosis, is endemic in northern Australia and Southeast Asia. An increasing number of melioidosis cases are being reported in other tropical regions, including Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. B. pseudomallei first emerged in Australia, with subsequent rare dissemination event(s) to Southeast Asia; however, its dispersal to other regions is not yet well understood. We used large-scale comparative genomics to investigate the origins of three B. pseudomallei isolates from Madagascar and two from Burkina Faso. Phylogenomic reconstruction demonstrates that these African B. pseudomallei isolates group into a single novel clade that resides within the more ancestral Asian clade. Intriguingly, South American strains reside within the African clade, suggesting more recent dissemination from West Africa to the Americas. Anthropogenic factors likely assisted in B. pseudomallei dissemination to Africa, possibly during migration of the Austronesian peoples from Indonesian Borneo to Madagascar ~2,000 years ago, with subsequent genetic diversity driven by mutation and recombination. Our study provides new insights into global patterns of B. pseudomallei dissemination and adds to the growing body of evidence of melioidosis endemicity in Africa. Our findings have important implications for melioidosis diagnosis and management in Africa. IMPORTANCE Sporadic melioidosis cases have been reported in the African mainland and Indian Ocean islands, but until recently, these regions were not considered areas where B. pseudomallei is endemic. Given the high mortality rate of melioidosis, it is crucial that this disease be recognized and suspected in all regions of endemicity. Previous work has shown that B. pseudomallei originated in Australia, with subsequent introduction into Asia; however, the precise origin of B. pseudomallei in other tropical regions remains poorly understood. Using whole-genome sequencing, we characterized B. pseudomallei isolates from Madagascar and Burkina Faso. Next, we compared these strains to a global collection of B. pseudomallei isolates to identify their evolutionary origins. We found that African B. pseudomallei strains likely originated from Asia and were closely related to South American strains, reflecting a relatively recent shared evolutionary history. We also identified substantial genetic diversity among African strains, suggesting long-term B. pseudomallei endemicity in this region.
Correction: Diagnosis of Bacterial Bloodstream Infections: A 16S Metagenomics Approach
Authors:
Date:
2017-07-28
Journal:
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Content:
Supporting evidence for a human reservoir of invasive non-Typhoidal Salmonella from household samples in Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2019-10-14
Journal:
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Content:
Antigen persistence of rapid diagnostic tests in pregnant women in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, and the implications for the diagnosis of malaria in pregnancy.
Authors:
Kattenberg JH , author
Tahita CM , author
Versteeg IA , author
Tinto H , author
Traoré-Coulibaly M , author
Schallig HD , author
Mens PF , author
Date:
2012-05-01
Journal:
Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH
Content:
Prevalence of the dhfr and dhps Mutations among Pregnant Women in Rural Burkina Faso Five Years after the Introduction of Intermittent Preventive Treatment with Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine
Authors:
Date:
2015-09-14
Journal:
PLOS ONE
Content:
Diagnosis of Bacterial Bloodstream Infections: A 16S Metagenomics Approach
Authors:
Date:
2016-02-29
Journal:
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Content:
Evaluation of Antigen Detection Tests, Microscopy, and Polymerase Chain Reaction for Diagnosis of Malaria in Peripheral Blood in Asymptomatic Pregnant Women in Nanoro, Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2012-08-01
Journal:
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Content:
Rubella seroprevalence among pregnant women in Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2013-12-01
Journal:
BMC Infectious Diseases
Content:
Implementation of a malaria rapid diagnostic test in a rural setting of Nanoro, Burkina Faso: from expectation to reality
Authors:
Date:
2018-12-01
Journal:
Malaria Journal
Content:
The impact of clinical research activities on communities in rural Africa: the development of the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN) in Burkina Faso.
Authors:
Date:
2014-03-22
Journal:
Malaria journal
Content:
BACKGROUND: The opportunities for developing new drugs and vaccines for malaria control look brighter now than ten years ago. However, there are few places in sub-Saharan Africa with the necessary infrastructure and expertise to support such research in compliance to international standards of clinical research (ICH-GCP). The Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN) was founded in 2008 to provide a much-needed GCP-compliant clinical trial platform for an imminent large-scale Phase 3 malaria vaccine trial. A dynamic approach was used that entailed developing the required infrastructure and human resources, while engaging local communities in the process as key stakeholders. This provided a better understanding and ownership of the research activities by the local population. CASE DESCRIPTION: Within five years (2008-2013), the CRUN set up a fully and well-equipped GCP-compliant clinical trial research facility, which enabled to attract 25 grants. The research team grew from ten health workers prior to 2008 to 254 in 2013. A Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), which covers a total population of about 60,000 people in 24 villages was set up in the district. The local community contributed to the development of the facility through the leadership of the king and the mayor of Nanoro. As a result of their active advocacy, the government extended the national electrical grid to the new research center, and later to the entire village. This produced a positive impact on the community's quality of life. The quality of health care improved substantially, due to the creation of more elaborate clinical laboratory services and the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment. CONCLUSION: Involving the community in the key steps of establishing the centre provided the foundation for what was to become the CRUN success story. This experience demonstrates that when clinical trials research sites are carefully developed and implemented, they can have a positive and powerful impact on local communities in resource-poor settings, well beyond the task of generating expected study data.
Immune response to the hepatitis B antigen in the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine, and co-administration with pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus vaccines in African children: A randomized controlled trial
Authors:
Date:
2018-06-03
Journal:
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics
Content:
The effect of malaria rapid diagnostic tests results on antimicrobial prescription practices of health care workers in Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2019-12-01
Journal:
Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials
Content:
Phylogenetic Analysis of Human Parvovirus B19 Sequences from Eleven Different Countries Confirms the Predominance of Genotype 1 and Suggests the Spread of Genotype 3b
Authors:
Date:
2009-11-01
Journal:
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Content:
Treatable causes of fever among children under five years in a seasonal malaria transmission area in Burkina Faso
Authors:
Date:
2018-12-01
Journal:
Infectious Diseases of Poverty
Content:
Clinical signs and symptoms cannot reliably predict Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in pregnant women living in an area of high seasonal transmission
Authors:
Date:
2013-01-01
Journal:
Malaria Journal
Content:
Efficacy and safety of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine with or without a booster dose in infants and children in Africa: final results of a phase 3, individually randomised, controlled trial
Authors:
Date:
2015-07-01
Journal:
The Lancet
Content:
Algorithms for sequential interpretation of a malaria rapid diagnostic test detecting two different targets of Plasmodium species to improve diagnostic accuracy in a rural setting (Nanoro, Burkina Faso)
Authors:
Date:
2019-02-13
Journal:
PLOS ONE
Content:

Projects

Relation between anemia and G6P deficiency among pregnant women in high malaria endemic settings
Fellow:
Marc Christian Tahita
Collaborators:
Name Country Institution
Roger Tine Senegal UCAD
Objectives:
General Objective To investigate the determinants and risks factors of anemia during pregnancy with a focus on G6PD in rural areas of BF Specific objectives are below : 1. To determine the frequency and distribution of anemia and G6PD deficiency in pregnant women with and without malaria 2. To measure intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) coverage in pregnant women with and without anemia in a high malaria transmission area 3. To measure intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) coverage in pregnant women with G6PD deficiency and in women without G6PD deficiency in a high malaria transmission area 4. To analyze the effect of other contextual factors (iron supplementation during pregnancy, geo-helminthiasis, use of mosquito nets, inflammation marker, hemoglobinopathies) on the occurrence of anemia in pregnant women in rural Burkina Faso 5. To analyze the relationship between uptake of SP and acute haemolytic anemia
Sites:
Nanoro district (Burkina Faso) and Ndoffane (Senegal)
Study Design:
The study will be a case control study and will be conducted in the catchment area of the Nanoro health district. Cases will be defined as pregnant women with a hemoglobin level of less than 11 g/dl, while controls will be pregnant women with a hemoglobin level of 11 g/dl or higher. The recruitment will be done during the antenatal care (ANC) visits among pregnant women visiting the selected health centers of Nanoro district. During the ANC visits, pregnant women will be asked to participate and will be included if they fulfill the inclusion criteria. The two groups will be matched based on the gestational age, the gravidity and the parity of the women in order to control for the potential bias induced by these different parameters. Pregnant women will be evaluated twice at inclusion and at delivery. All study participants will be encouraged to deliver at the health facility that provides obstetric care.
Subjects:
Pregnant women
Start Date:
2021-10-20
End Date:
2023-04-28

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