Mohammad Shafiul AlamInternational Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh | ICDDR,B · Laboratory for Parasitology
Mohammad Shafiul Alam
PhD(Parasitology)
Malaria drug resistance, point-of-care tests for infectious diseases, G6PD deficiency, Dengue, and vector control.
About
197
Publications
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Introduction
Working as a Scientist at the Emerging Infections & Parasitology Laboratory of icddr,b. He has received Ph D and a Masters Degree in Parasitology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Research interest includes malaria drug resistance, point of care diagnostics for infectious diseases, host-parasite interaction and vector control. Has received several fellowships in the field of infectious diseases diagnosis from the University of Tokyo, Fondaton Mérieux, Univ. of Washington etc.
Additional affiliations
January 2021 - present
November 2017 - August 2021
Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery
Position
- Fellow
January 2016 - December 2020
Publications
Publications (197)
The control of malaria, in terms of drug resistance, remains a significant global challenge, with Bangladesh, a malaria-endemic country, being no exception. The aim of this study was to explore antimalarial resistance in Bangladesh by molecular analysis of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) and P. falciparum multidrug...
Background
Arboviral diseases, including dengue and chikungunya, are major public health concerns in Bangladesh where there have been unprecedented levels of transmission reported in recent years. The primary approach to control these diseases is to control the vector Aedes aegypti using pyrethroid insecticides. Although chemical control has long b...
Background
In areas co-endemic for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum there is an increased risk of P vivax parasitaemia following P falciparum malaria. Radical cure is currently only recommended for patients presenting with P vivax malaria. Expanding the indication for radical cure to patients presenting with P falciparum malaria could red...
Bangladesh experienced the largest and deadliest dengue outbreak in 2023, after the virus had reappeared in the country 2 decades earlier. A total of 1,705 people died in Bangladesh, representing the highest case fatality rate (0.5%) due to dengue in the world for that year. The severity of dengue infection is to some extent related to the emergenc...
Background
Among 13 endemic districts, the Chittagong Hill Tracts bear more than 90% of Bangladesh’s malaria burden. Despite the private sector’s prominence in rural healthcare, its role in malaria management remains underutilized. This study aimed to strategize leveraging the for-profit private sector, such as diagnostic and treatment centers, to...
Dengue cases in Bangladesh have surged in recent years. The existing insecticide-based control program, implemented in parts of the country, is challenged by issues of insufficient household coverage and high levels of insecticide resistance in the primary dengue virus (DENV) vector, Aedes aegypti. A more sustainable, effective alternative could be...
The elimination of Plasmodium vivax is challenged by dormant liver stages (hypnozoites) that can reactivate months after initial infection resulting in relapses that enhance transmission. Relapsing infections confound antimalarial clinical efficacy trials due to the inability to distinguish between recurrences arising from blood-stage treatment fai...
Background: Dengue viruses have been prevalent since 2000 in Bangladesh, including Chattogram. The objective of the present study was to examine the serotype patterns of dengue viruses in 2022 and 2023 in Chattogram, the southern part of Bangladesh.
Methods: Present study was conducted in Chattogram Maa O Shishu Hospital from June through December,...
Bangladesh reduced malaria incidence by 93% from 2008 to 2020 through the action of governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Bangladesh context is unique to South Asia because its successful public sector malaria control programs have historically not engaged corporate partners (as undertaken in Sri Lanka and proposed in India). However...
Background
During the 2023-dengue outbreak in Bangladesh, a diagnostic evaluation study was conducted to investigate concurrent Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) transmission in Dhaka in 2023.
Aims
The study explored to simultaneously detect the presence of ZIKV, DENV, and/or CHIKV while considering relevant clinical and epidemiological ris...
Background
Dengue, a viral infection transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes, presents a substantial global public health concern, particularly in tropical regions. In Bangladesh, where dengue prevalence is noteworthy, accurately mapping the distribution of high-risk and low-risk areas and comprehending the clustering of dengue cases throughout the...
The elimination of Plasmodium vivax is challenged by dormant liver stages (hypnozoites) that can reactivate months after initial infection resulting in relapses that enhance transmission. Relapsing infections confound antimalarial clinical efficacy trials due to the inability to distinguish between recurrences arising from blood-stage treatment fai...
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a major threat to human health. Bangladesh is considering introducing a JEV vaccine; however, the investment case is hampered by a limited understanding of key aspects of JEV ecology. We conducted a seroprevalence study in a high-incidence region using an assay that limits cross-reactivity with dengue virus. We...
Background
Among 13 endemic districts, the Chittagong Hill Tracts bear more than 90% of Bangladesh's malaria burden. Despite the private sector's prominence in rural healthcare, its role in malaria management remains underutilized. This study aimed to strategize leveraging the for-profit private sector, such as diagnostic and treatment centers, to...
There is an increasing global burden from chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Bangladesh reported a major epidemic in 2017, but it was unclear whether there had been prior widespread transmission. We conducted a nationally representative seroprevalence survey in 70 randomly selected communities immediately before the epidemic. We found that 69 of 2938 sampl...
Quantitative diagnosis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is essential for the safe administration of 8-aminoquinoline based radical cure for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax infections. Here, we present the PreQuine Platform (IVDS, USA), a quantitative biosensor that uses a dual-analyte assay for the simultaneous measurement o...
Plasmodium malariae parasites are widely observed across the tropics and sub-tropics. This slow-growing species, known to maintain chronic asymptomatic infections, has been associated with reduced antimalarial susceptibility. We analyse 251 P. malariae genomes, and leveraging 131,601 high-quality SNPs, demonstrate segregation of African and Asian i...
Bangladesh reduced malaria by 93% from 2008-2020 through the action of governmental and non-governmental organizations, yet ~18 million people continue to live at risk of infection. For-profit private healthcare providers, catalytic for malaria elimination in many countries, have not yet been integrated into the national program. By imposing strict...
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is responsible for a rapidly increasing but poorly understood infection burden globally. Bangladesh experienced its first reported outbreak in 2008. Despite a number of subsequent isolated outbreaks, culminating in an enormous nationwide epidemic in 2017, very little is known about the burden or dynamics of chikungunya wit...
Background
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a major threat to human health. Bangladesh is considering introducing a JEV vaccine, however, the investment case is hampered by a poor understanding of key aspects of JEV ecology, including underlying patterns of infection, the infection fatality ratio, and which host and vectors maintain transmissio...
Background
Culex (Cx.) tritaeniorhynchus is an invasive mosquito species with an extensive and expanding inter-continental distribution, currently reported across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and now Australia. It is an important vector of medical and veterinary pathogens which cause significant morbidity and mortality in human and animal...
Background
The optimal dosing of primaquine to prevent relapsing Plasmodium vivax malaria in South Asia remains unclear. We investigated the efficacy and safety of different primaquine regimens to prevent P. vivax relapse.
Methods
A systematic review identified P. vivax efficacy studies from South Asia published between 1 January 2000 and 23 Augus...
Ensuring adherence to antimalarial treatment is crucial for achieving a radical cure and elimination of malaria, especially in hard-to-reach areas. We conducted this study to assess the current scenario of drug adherence in four endemic sub-districts of Bangladesh. Among 110 enrolled participants, 70% were mono-infected with Plasmodium falciparum a...
Introduction
Screening for G6PD deficiency can inform disease management including malaria. Treatment with the antimalarial drugs primaquine and tafenoquine can be guided by point-of-care testing for G6PD deficiency.
Methods and findings
Data from similar clinical studies evaluating the performance of the STANDARD G6PD Test (SD Biosensor, South Ko...
Background
Primaquine radical cure is used to treat dormant liver-stage parasites and prevent relapsing Plasmodium vivax malaria but is limited by concerns of haemolysis. We undertook a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis to investigate the haematological safety of different primaquine regimens for P vivax radical cure.
Met...
The forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMNs) known as Rohingya refugees are the largest group of stateless individuals globally. According to the emergencies humanitarian actors at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the worldwide refugee crisis involving FDMNs is intensifying at the fastest rate in history....
Climate change is one of several drivers of recurrent outbreaks and geographical range expansion of infectious diseases in Europe. We propose a framework for the co-production of policy-relevant indicators and decision-support tools that track past, present, and future climate-induced disease risks across hazard, exposure, and vulnerability domains...
Bangladesh has dramatically reduced malaria by 93% from 2008 to 2020. The strategy has been district-wise, phased elimination; however, the last districts targeted for elimination include remote, forested regions which present several challenges for prevention, detection, and treatment of malaria. These districts border Myanmar which harbors Plasmo...
Abstract Background Joint efforts by government and non-government organizations have helped to reduce malaria in Bangladesh and set the country on a clear path to eventual malaria elimination. However, achieving that goal would be challenging without a comprehensive understanding of vector bionomics. Methods Targeted capturing of Anopheles mosquit...
BACKGROUND
With no effective drugs or widely available vaccines, dengue control in Bangladesh is dependent on targeting the primary vector Aedes aegypti with insecticides and larval source management. Despite these interventions, the dengue burden is increasing in Bangladesh, and the country experienced its worst outbreak in 2019 with 101 354 hospi...
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions, particularly travel restrictions, have had significant impact on the conduct of global clinical trials. Our clinical trials programme, which relied on in-person visits for training, monitoring and capacity building across nine low- and middle-income countries, had to adapt to those unpr...
Traditionally, patient travel history has been used to distinguish imported from autochthonous malaria cases, but the dormant liver stages of Plasmodium vivax confound this approach. Molecular tools offer an alternative method to identify, and map imported cases. Using machine learning approaches incorporating hierarchical fixation index and decisi...
Introduction
Screening for G6PD deficiency can inform disease management including malaria. Treatment with the antimalarial drugs primaquine and tafenoquine can be guided by point-of-care testing for G6PD deficiency.
Methods and Findings
Data from similar clinical studies evaluating the performance of the STANDARD ™ G6PD Test (SD Biosensor, South...
Accurate and early diagnoses are prerequisites for prompt treatment. For coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is even more crucial. Currently, choice of methods include rapid diagnostic tests and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using samples mostly of respiratory origin and sometimes saliva. We evaluated two rapid diagno...
Background
Bangladesh has reduced malaria incidence and mortality by over 75% between 2010 and 2020. Widespread long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) distribution and use is one of the measures responsible for this success. Recalcitrant malaria hotspots within the Chittagong Hill Tracts districts suggest important drivers of malaria risk may remain...
Introduction:
Malaria is a significant global health concern and adversely affects people in developing countries including Bangladesh. The causative agent Plasmodium falciparum is resistant to several currently available anti-malarial drugs, such as mefloquine, chloroquine, and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), and this has been a majo...
Amongst the multiple ways to diagnose coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the reference gold standard, providing fast and accurate results. This study evaluated and compared the performance of three commercially available COVID-19 RT-PCR kits-Aridia® COVID-19 Real-Time PCR Test (CTK...
Background
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has recently posed a threat to global health by spreading at a high rate and taking millions of lives worldwide. Along with the respiratory symptoms, there are gastrointestinal manifestations and one of the most c...
Plasmodium malariae is a neglected human malaria parasite with low parasitemia that often results in the misdiagnosis and underestimation of the actual disease burden of this pathogen. Microscopy is the best diagnostic tool, despite the fact that rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are the best surveillance tool for malaria diagnosis in many rural areas...
Abstract
Low glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme (G6PD) activity is a key determinant of drug-induced haemolysis. More than 230 clinically relevant genetic variants have been described. We investigated the variation in G6PD activity within and between different genetic variants. In this systematic review, individual patient data from studies r...
Mapping asymptomatic malaria infections, which contribute to the transmission reservoir, is important for elimination programs. This analysis compared the spatiotemporal patterns of symptomatic and asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections in a cohort study of ∼25,000 people living in a rural hypoendemic area of about 179 km ² in a smal...
Background
Malaria remains endemic in Bangladesh, with the majority of cases occurring in forested, mountainous region in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). This area is home to Bengali and diverse groups of indigenous people (Pahari) residing largely in mono-ethnic villages.
Methods
1002 individuals of the 9 most prominent Pahari and the Bengali p...
Background:
Plasmodium vivax forms dormant liver stages that can reactivate weeks or months following an acute infection. Recurrent infections are often associated with a febrile illness and can cause a cumulative risk of severe anaemia, direct and indirect mortality, and onward transmission of the parasite. There is an increased risk of P. vivax...
Primaquine and tafenoquine are the only licensed drugs with activity against Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites but cause haemolysis in patients with glucose–6–phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Malaria also causes haemolysis, leading to the replacement of older erythrocytes with low G6PD activity by reticulocytes and young erythrocytes with high...
Primaquine and tafenoquine are the only licensed drugs with activity against Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites but cause haemolysis in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydroge-nase (G6PD) deficiency. Malaria also causes haemolysis, leading to the replacement of older erythrocytes with low G6PD activity by reticulocytes and young erythrocytes with hig...
Tick and tick-borne diseases cause significant impediments to livestock health and production; however, information on the tick fauna is significantly limited in Bangladesh. This study was aimed to investigate tick fauna in Sylhet sub-district of Bangladesh targeting animal hosts and environment. A total 1427 ticks were collected by using blunt for...
Background
Malaria remains endemic in Bangladesh, with the majority of cases occurring in forested, mountainous region in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). This area is home to Bengali and diverse groups of indigenous people (Pahari) residing largely in mono-ethnic villages.
Methods
1002 individuals of the 9 most prominent Pahari and the Bengali po...
Solar geoengineering is often framed as a stopgap measure to decrease the magnitude, impacts, and injustice of climate change. However, the benefits or costs of geoengineering for human health are largely unknown. We project how geoengineering could impact malaria risk by comparing current transmission suitability and populations-at-risk under mode...
This report describes the MalariaGEN Pv4 dataset, a new release of curated genome variation data on 1,895 samples of Plasmodium vivax collected at 88 worldwide locations between 2001 and 2017. It includes 1,370 new samples contributed by MalariaGEN and VivaxGEN partner studies in addition to previously published samples from these and other sources...
Background
The introduction of novel short course treatment regimens for the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax requires reliable point-of-care diagnosis that can identify glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficient individuals. While deficient males can be identified using a qualitative diagnostic test, the genetic make-up of females requires...
Culex (Cx.) tritaeniorhynchus is a mosquito species with an extensive and expanding inter-continental geographic distribution, currently reported in over 50 countries, across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and now Australia. It is an important vector of medical and veterinary concern, capable of transmitting multiple arboviruses which cause...
ABSTRACT Emerging resistance to artemisinin drugs threatens the elimination of malaria. Resistance is widespread in South East Asia (SEA) and Myanmar. Neighboring Bangladesh, where 90% of infections occur in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs), lacks recent assessment. We undertook a prospective study in the sole district-level hospital in Bandarban,...
ccurate diagnosis at the right moment is the prerequisite for treatment of any disease. Failure to correctly diagnose a disease can result in highly detrimental effects, unmistakably a crucial factor during the COVID-19 pandemic. RT-PCR is the gold standard for COVID-19 detection while there are other test procedures available, such as LAMP, X-Ray,...
The exploration of alternative antimalarial therapeutics is a requisite for the emergence of resistance against Artemisinin. Considering the required cost and time length of classical small molecule drug discovery process, phytochemical screening of traditionally used medicinal plant which are repertoire of active compounds with antimalarial activi...
Aedes albopictus is a highly invasive mosquito species and a vector of human arboviral diseases including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. There are no effective drugs or vaccines for the treatment or prevention of most of these diseases, so the primary option for disease prevention and control is to target mosquitoes, often using insecticides. Despi...
The emergence of resistance to artemisinin drugs threatens global malaria control. Resistance is widely seen in South East Asia (SEA) and Myanmar, but not comprehensively assessed in Bangladesh. This is due to lack of measuring parasite clearance times in response to drug treatment, a gold standard used to track artemisinin resistance (AR), in the...
Background
The radical cure of Plasmodium vivax requires treatment with an 8-aminoquinoline drug, such as primaquine and tafenoquine, to eradicate liver hypnozoite stages, which can reactivate to cause relapsing infections. Safe treatment regimens require prior screening of patients for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency to avoid p...
Background
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity is dependent upon G6PD genotype and age of the red blood cell (RBC) population, with younger RBCs having higher activity. Peripheral parasitemia with Plasmodium spp. induces hemolysis, replacing older RBCs with younger cells with higher G6PD activity. This study aimed to assess whether G6...
Polymerase chain reaction, although an expensive method for the detection of human Plasmodium spp., is still considered the finest for the diagnosis of malaria. The conventional diagnostic PCR is an inexpensive process but consumes a lot of time, reagents and lacks sensitivity. On the other hand, real-time PCR assays currently being used are mostly...
Introduction: The persistent increase of resistance to existing antimalarials underscores the needs for new drugs. Historically, most of the successful antimalarial are derived from plants. The leaves of the S. cymosum is one of the plant materials used by traditional healers in malaria-endemic areas in Bangladesh for treatment of malaria. Here, we...
Background: The radical cure of Plasmodium vivax requires treatment with an 8-aminoquinoline drug, such as primaquine and tafenoquine, to clear the liver of parasites which can reactivate to cause relapsing infections. Safe treatment regimens require prior screening of patients for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency to avoid potent...