The University of Buea in Cameroon have recruited malaria cases and healthy controls to contribute to Consortial Project 1. Transmission occurs throughout the year in Cameroon with two peak seasons. The first season is in April and May and second is in October and November. These correspond with the beginning and end of the rainy season respectively. Plasmodium falciparum is the main species and Anopheles gambiae is the main vector species.

Description of study population - Cases

Cases consist of children (1 month - 17 years) with severe or uncomplicated malaria. The children were recruited from nine hospitals and health centres in Cameroon. Seven were in the South-West Region (e.g. the Mt Mary Hospital Buea and Bota district Hospital Limbe), one in the Litteral Region (Hospital Laquintinie de Douala) and one in the Centre Region (Fondation Chantal Biya de Yaounde). The recruitment occurred between 2003 and 2008.

Severe malaria was defined by the presence of parasitemia and at least one of the following: severe anaemia (haemoglobin <6 g/dL or hematocrit < 18% if haemoglobin not available), convulsions before/during admission and cerebral malaria (Blantyre coma score of 3 or below).

Description of study population - Controls

Controls consist of apparently healthy children (1-14 years) and adults (17-52 years). The children were recruited from primary schools located in the South-West Region of Cameroon (Buea Metropolis) between 2004-2005 and 2007-2008. Children with parasitemia and a temperature of 37.5°C or above were excluded from the study. The adults were identified from a blood bank in the Centre region of Cameroon (Fondation Chantal Biya de Yaounde) between July and August 2007.