Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world and causes long-term adverse consequences in children. However, concerns remain about the safety of iron supplements, particularly for children in malaria-endemic countries lacking adequate access to health services. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have proven these concerns valid after finding iron deficiency anemia actually protects children against the blood-stage of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Africa, and treating anemia with iron supplementation removes this protective effect. Their results were published in EBioMedicine.
The UNC researchers, along with colleagues from the Medical Research Council Unit in The Gambia, Africa, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, studied the red blood cells of 135 anemic children aged 6-24 months in a malaria-endemic region of The Gambia where sickle-cell trait was also common. The children received iron through micronutrient powder for 84 days as part of an iron supplementation trial. Red blood cells from the children were analyzed at baseline, day 49 and day 84.
Previous studies had shown a protective effect from malaria in children having the sickle-cell trait. However, the researchers found that on a population-wide basis anemia reduced the blood-stage of malaria by 16 percent while the sickle-cell trait only reduced it by 4 percent.
“Our finding that anemia offers greater natural protection against blood-stage malaria infection than sickle-cell trait has led us to formulate the interesting hypothesis that the widespread prevalence of anemia in people of African descent is a genetic signature of malaria,” said Morgan Goheen, PhD, the study’s lead author and a graduate student in the UNC Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
Deficits in invasion and growth for blood stage P. falciparum were reversed when anemic children had received seven weeks of iron supplementation. Prior work by the same research team suggests that the increased invasion and growth rates following iron supplementation are caused by the parasites’ strong preference for young red blood cells.
“This study is elegant in its simplicity, yet remains one of the most substantial and systematic attempts to unveil the cellular-level relationship between anemia, iron supplementation and malaria risk,” said Carla Cerami, MD, PhD, lead scientist on the project at the MRC Unit in The Gambia.
These new field results consolidate the evidence that iron supplementation increases the risk of P. falciparum malaria and provide support for the use of malaria prophylaxis by iron supplementation programs, especially during the critical, early phases of the erythroid recovery. This study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Source: University of North Carolina Health Care System
A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings
July 9th 2025Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.
Broadening the Path: Diverse Educational Routes Into Infection Prevention Careers
July 4th 2025Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.
How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels
July 3rd 2025Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.