A molecular barcode to inform the geographical origin and transmission dynamics of Plasmodium vivax malaria

by Ernest Diez Benavente, Monica Campos, Jody Phelan, Debbie Nolder, Jamille G. Dombrowski, Claudio R. F. Marinho, Kanlaya Sriprawat, Aimee R. Taylor, James Watson, Cally Roper, Francois Nosten, Colin J. Sutherland, Susana Campino, Taane G. Clark AlthoughPlasmodium vivax parasites are the predominant cause of malaria outside of sub-Saharan Africa, they not always prioritised by elimination programmes.P.vivax is resilient and poses challenges through its ability to re-emerge from dormancy in the human liver. With observed growing drug-resistance and the increasing reports of life-threatening infections, new tools to inform elimination efforts are needed. In order to halt transmission, we need to better understand the dynamics of transmission, the movement of parasites, and the reservoirs of infection in order to design targeted interventions. The use of molecular genetics and epidemiology for tracking and studying malaria parasite populations has been applied successfully inP.falciparum species and here we sought to develop a molecular genetic tool forP.vivax. By assembling the largest set ofP.vivax whole genome sequences (n = 433) spanning 17 countries, and applying a machine learning approach, we created a 71 SNP barcode with high predictive ability to identify geographic origin (91.4%). Further, due to the inclusion of markers for within population variability, the barcode may also distinguish local transmission networks. By usingP.vivax data from a low-transmission settin...
Source: PLoS Genetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Source Type: research