Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa.

<h4>Background</h4>Plasmodium vivax has been recently discovered as a significant cause of malaria in Mauritania, although very rare elsewhere in West Africa. It has not been known if this is a recently introduced or locally remnant parasite population, nor whether the genetic structure...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hampate Ba, Sarah Auburn, Christopher G Jacob, Sonia Goncalves, Craig W Duffy, Lindsay B Stewart, Ric N Price, Yacine Boubou Deh, Mamadou Yero Diallo, Abderahmane Tandia, Dominic P Kwiatkowski, David J Conway
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2020-12-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008945
_version_ 1828065193725263872
author Hampate Ba
Sarah Auburn
Christopher G Jacob
Sonia Goncalves
Craig W Duffy
Lindsay B Stewart
Ric N Price
Yacine Boubou Deh
Mamadou Yero Diallo
Abderahmane Tandia
Dominic P Kwiatkowski
David J Conway
author_facet Hampate Ba
Sarah Auburn
Christopher G Jacob
Sonia Goncalves
Craig W Duffy
Lindsay B Stewart
Ric N Price
Yacine Boubou Deh
Mamadou Yero Diallo
Abderahmane Tandia
Dominic P Kwiatkowski
David J Conway
author_sort Hampate Ba
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Plasmodium vivax has been recently discovered as a significant cause of malaria in Mauritania, although very rare elsewhere in West Africa. It has not been known if this is a recently introduced or locally remnant parasite population, nor whether the genetic structure reflects epidemic or endemic transmission.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>To investigate the P. vivax population genetic structure in Mauritania and compare with populations previously analysed elsewhere, multi-locus genotyping was undertaken on 100 clinical isolates, using a genome-wide panel of 38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), plus seven SNPs in drug resistance genes. The Mauritanian P. vivax population is shown to be genetically diverse and divergent from populations elsewhere, indicated consistently by genetic distance matrix analysis, principal components analyses, and fixation indices. Only one isolate had a genotype clearly indicating recent importation, from a southeast Asian source. There was no linkage disequilibrium in the local parasite population, and only a small number of infections appeared to be closely genetically related, indicating that there is ongoing genetic recombination consistent with endemic transmission. The P. vivax diversity in a remote mining town was similar to that in the capital Nouakchott, with no indication of local substructure or of epidemic population structure. Drug resistance alleles were virtually absent in Mauritania, in contrast with P. vivax in other areas of the world.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>The molecular epidemiology indicates that there is long-standing endemic transmission that will be very challenging to eliminate. The virtual absence of drug resistance alleles suggests that most infections have been untreated, and that this endemic infection has been more neglected in comparison to P. vivax elsewhere.
first_indexed 2024-04-10T23:11:02Z
format Article
id doaj.art-4d734959406642b8995cd4fde30c5328
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-10T23:11:02Z
publishDate 2020-12-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj.art-4d734959406642b8995cd4fde30c53282023-01-13T05:32:51ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352020-12-011412e000894510.1371/journal.pntd.0008945Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa.Hampate BaSarah AuburnChristopher G JacobSonia GoncalvesCraig W DuffyLindsay B StewartRic N PriceYacine Boubou DehMamadou Yero DialloAbderahmane TandiaDominic P KwiatkowskiDavid J Conway<h4>Background</h4>Plasmodium vivax has been recently discovered as a significant cause of malaria in Mauritania, although very rare elsewhere in West Africa. It has not been known if this is a recently introduced or locally remnant parasite population, nor whether the genetic structure reflects epidemic or endemic transmission.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>To investigate the P. vivax population genetic structure in Mauritania and compare with populations previously analysed elsewhere, multi-locus genotyping was undertaken on 100 clinical isolates, using a genome-wide panel of 38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), plus seven SNPs in drug resistance genes. The Mauritanian P. vivax population is shown to be genetically diverse and divergent from populations elsewhere, indicated consistently by genetic distance matrix analysis, principal components analyses, and fixation indices. Only one isolate had a genotype clearly indicating recent importation, from a southeast Asian source. There was no linkage disequilibrium in the local parasite population, and only a small number of infections appeared to be closely genetically related, indicating that there is ongoing genetic recombination consistent with endemic transmission. The P. vivax diversity in a remote mining town was similar to that in the capital Nouakchott, with no indication of local substructure or of epidemic population structure. Drug resistance alleles were virtually absent in Mauritania, in contrast with P. vivax in other areas of the world.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>The molecular epidemiology indicates that there is long-standing endemic transmission that will be very challenging to eliminate. The virtual absence of drug resistance alleles suggests that most infections have been untreated, and that this endemic infection has been more neglected in comparison to P. vivax elsewhere.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008945
spellingShingle Hampate Ba
Sarah Auburn
Christopher G Jacob
Sonia Goncalves
Craig W Duffy
Lindsay B Stewart
Ric N Price
Yacine Boubou Deh
Mamadou Yero Diallo
Abderahmane Tandia
Dominic P Kwiatkowski
David J Conway
Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa.
title_full Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa.
title_fullStr Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa.
title_full_unstemmed Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa.
title_short Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa.
title_sort multi locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct plasmodium vivax population in mauritania west africa
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008945
work_keys_str_mv AT hampateba multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT sarahauburn multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT christophergjacob multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT soniagoncalves multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT craigwduffy multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT lindsaybstewart multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT ricnprice multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT yacinebouboudeh multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT mamadouyerodiallo multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT abderahmanetandia multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT dominicpkwiatkowski multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica
AT davidjconway multilocusgenotypingrevealsestablishedendemicityofageographicallydistinctplasmodiumvivaxpopulationinmauritaniawestafrica