{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,8]],"date-time":"2026-03-08T05:30:51Z","timestamp":1772947851071,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]],"date-time":"2026-02-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771804800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>We assessed baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin levels in asymptomatic individuals from malaria-endemic West Africa. C-reactive protein remained unaffected by Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia, while procalcitonin (PCT) was more frequently detectable among malaria-positive individuals. These findings support that CRP thresholds remain valid and highlight the need to explore parasite density\u2013PCT associations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/ofid\/ofag078","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T12:52:40Z","timestamp":1771505560000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Baseline Procalcitonin and C-Reactive Protein Levels in Asymptomatic Individuals From West Africa With and Without\n                    <i>P. falciparum<\/i>\n                    Parasitemia"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2773-3928","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ricardo","family":"Strauss","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6405-015X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Solomon T","family":"Wafula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University , Kampala ,","place":["Uganda"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6067-3408","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robin","family":"Kobbe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-L\u00fcbeck-Borstel-Riems , Braunschweig ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eva","family":"Lorenz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-L\u00fcbeck-Borstel-Riems , Braunschweig ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Oumou Maiga","family":"Ascofar\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-L\u00fcbeck-Borstel-Riems , Braunschweig ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology , Kumasi ,","place":["Ghana"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Doris","family":"Winter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anthony Afum-Adjei","family":"Awuah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology , Kumasi ,","place":["Ghana"]},{"name":"Department of Molecular Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology , Kumasi ,","place":["Ghana"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"John H","family":"Amuasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology , Kumasi ,","place":["Ghana"]},{"name":"Department of Global and International Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology , Kumasi ,","place":["Ghana"]},{"name":"Research Group Global and One Health Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Boubacar","family":"Coulibaly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) , partner site Heidelberg, Heidelberg ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"Centre de Recherche en Sant\u00e9 de Nouna , Biological Analysis Laboratory, Nouna ,","place":["Burkina Faso"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ali","family":"Si\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) , partner site Heidelberg, Heidelberg ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"Centre de Recherche en Sant\u00e9 de Nouna , Biological Analysis Laboratory, Nouna ,","place":["Burkina Faso"]},{"name":"Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University , Heidelberg ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Felix","family":"Eckelt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7831-8420","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"J\u00fcrgen","family":"May","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-L\u00fcbeck-Borstel-Riems , Braunschweig ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"Tropical Medicine II, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4753-5841","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicole S","family":"Struck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , Hamburg ,","place":["Germany"]},{"name":"German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-L\u00fcbeck-Borstel-Riems , Braunschweig ,","place":["Germany"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1805","DOI":"10.1172\/JCI200318921","article-title":"C-reactive protein: a critical update","volume":"111","author":"Pepys","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Clin Invest"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"426","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(12)70323-7","article-title":"Procalcitonin as a diagnostic marker for sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"13","author":"Wacker","year":"2013","journal-title":"Lancet Infect Dis"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B3","author":"World Health Organization"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"623","DOI":"10.1586\/eri.13.45","article-title":"The silent threat: asymptomatic parasitemia and malaria transmission","volume":"11","author":"Lindblade","year":"2013","journal-title":"Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1001942","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001942","article-title":"Asymptomatic\u201d malaria: a chronic and debilitating infection that should be treated","volume":"13","author":"Chen","year":"2016","journal-title":"PLoS Med"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.2007.77.119","article-title":"A review of malaria diagnostic tools: microscopy and rapid diagnostic test (RDT)","volume":"77","author":"Wongsrichanalai","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1949","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1537-2995.2011.03541.x","article-title":"Polymerase chain reaction-based tests for pan-species and species-specific detection of human Plasmodium parasites","volume":"52","author":"Mahajan","year":"2012","journal-title":"Transfusion"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"170","DOI":"10.1038\/274170a0","article-title":"Autoimmune and polyclonal B cell responses during murine malaria","volume":"274","author":"Rosenberg","year":"1978","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5412","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.72.9.5412-5418.2004","article-title":"Identification of a polyclonal B-cell activator in Plasmodium falciparum","volume":"72","author":"Donati","year":"2004","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"686435","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2021.686435","article-title":"Corrigendum: asymptomatic malaria infection is maintained by a balanced pro- and anti-inflammatory response","volume":"12","author":"Frimpong","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Microbiol"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107446","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actatropica.2024.107446","article-title":"An immuno-inflammatory profiling of asymptomatic individuals in a malaria endemic area in Uganda","volume":"260","author":"Saleh","year":"2024","journal-title":"Acta Trop"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e119","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(18)30444-3","article-title":"Effect of point-of-care C-reactive protein testing on antibiotic prescription in febrile patients attending primary care in Thailand and Myanmar: an open-label, randomised, controlled trial","volume":"7","author":"Althaus","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet Glob Health"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1926","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/ciz080","article-title":"Safety and efficacy of C-reactive protein-guided antibiotic use to treat acute respiratory infections in Tanzanian children: a planned subgroup analysis of a randomized controlled noninferiority trial evaluating a novel electronic clinical decision algorithm (ePOCT)","volume":"69","author":"Keitel","year":"2019","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1085","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(23)00125-1","article-title":"Implementation of point-of-care testing of C-reactive protein concentrations to improve antibiotic targeting in respiratory illness in Vietnamese primary care: a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial","volume":"23","author":"Do","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet Infect Dis"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S156","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/ciad341","article-title":"Impact of the Introduction of a package of diagnostic tools, diagnostic algorithm, and training and communication on outpatient acute fever case management at 3 diverse sites in Uganda: results of a randomized controlled trial","volume":"77","author":"Kapisi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"ofaa260","DOI":"10.1093\/ofid\/ofaa260","article-title":"Point-of-care biomarkers to guide antibiotic prescription for acute febrile illness in Sub-Saharan Africa: promises and caveats","volume":"7","author":"van Griensven","year":"2020","journal-title":"Open Forum Infect Dis"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"511","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-015-1272-6","article-title":"Performance of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin to distinguish viral from bacterial and malarial causes of fever in Southeast Asia","volume":"15","author":"Lubell","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"ofac434","DOI":"10.1093\/ofid\/ofac434","article-title":"Accuracy of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin for diagnosing bacterial infections among subjects with persistent fever in the tropics","volume":"9","author":"Van Duffel","year":"2022","journal-title":"Open Forum Infect Dis"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70076","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0070076","article-title":"Low C-reactive protein levels in a traditional West-African population living in a malaria endemic area","volume":"8","author":"Eriksson","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B20","author":"World Health Organisation"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e056853","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-056853","article-title":"Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in urban settings in three Sub-Saharan African countries (SeroCoV): a study protocol for a household-based cross-sectional prevalence study using two-stage cluster sampling","volume":"11","author":"Lorenz","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1676","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-022-13918-y","article-title":"High seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Burkina-Faso, Ghana and Madagascar in 2021: a population-based study","volume":"22","author":"Struck","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e001994","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjph-2024-001994","article-title":"Population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence study of SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban residential areas in Ghana","volume":"3","author":"Amuasi","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMJ Public Health"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1001788","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001788","article-title":"Ultra-sensitive detection of Plasmodium falciparum by amplification of multi-copy subtelomeric targets","volume":"12","author":"Hofmann","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS Med"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1186\/1475-2875-10-48","article-title":"A real-time, quantitative PCR method using hydrolysis probes for the monitoring of Plasmodium falciparum load in experimentally infected human volunteers","volume":"10","author":"Rockett","year":"2011","journal-title":"Malar J"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4366","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.41.9.4366-4371.2003","article-title":"Comparison and evaluation of real-time PCR, real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, conventional PCR, and serology for diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae","volume":"41","author":"Templeton","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Clin Microbiol"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"673","DOI":"10.1126\/science.781840","article-title":"Human malaria parasites in continuous culture","volume":"193","author":"Trager","year":"1976","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"418","DOI":"10.2307\/3280287","article-title":"Synchronization of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic stages in culture","volume":"65","author":"Lambros","year":"1979","journal-title":"J Parasitol"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1555515","DOI":"10.3389\/fgene.2025.1555515","article-title":"Genetic association of ACE2 rs2285666 (C &gt; T) and rs2106809 (A &gt; G) and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection among the Ghanaian population","volume":"16","author":"Boakye","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Genet"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e00107","DOI":"10.1016\/j.parepi.2019.e00107","article-title":"A focus on improving molecular diagnostic approaches to malaria control and elimination in low transmission settings: review","volume":"6","author":"Tedla","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasite Epidemiol Control"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1913","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jiad581","article-title":"Asymptomatic low-density Plasmodium falciparum infections: parasites under the host's immune radar?","volume":"229","author":"Prah","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"2026030710520986400_ofag078-B32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0158656","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0158656","article-title":"Association between subclinical malaria infection and inflammatory host response in a pre-elimination setting","volume":"11","author":"Peto","year":"2016","journal-title":"PLoS One"}],"container-title":["Open Forum Infectious Diseases"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ofid\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/ofid\/ofag078\/67072681\/ofag078.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ofid\/article-pdf\/13\/3\/ofag078\/67072681\/ofag078.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ofid\/article-pdf\/13\/3\/ofag078\/67072681\/ofag078.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,7]],"date-time":"2026-03-07T15:52:19Z","timestamp":1772898739000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ofid\/article\/doi\/10.1093\/ofid\/ofag078\/8494826"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,3]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ofid\/ofag078","relation":{},"ISSN":["2328-8957"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2328-8957","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]]},"article-number":"ofag078"}}