Population genetic structure of Plasmodium falciparum across a region of diverse endemicity in West Africa

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Mobegi Victor A, Loua Kovana M, Ahouidi Ambroise D, Satoguina Judith, Nwakanma Davis C, Amambua-Ngwa Alfred, Conway David J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2012
• Subjects: Plasmodium falciparum; Microsatellite; Population structure; Transmission intensity; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-223; https://doaj.org/article/0ea3f7ebc6b749fa835fa27f8bd33464

Abstract Background Malaria parasite population genetic structure varies among areas of differing endemicity, but this has not been systematically studied across Plasmodium falciparum populations in Africa where most infections occur. Methods Ten polymorphic P. falciparum microsatellite loci were genotyped in 268 infections from eight locations in four West African countries (Republic of Guinea, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia and Senegal), spanning a highly endemic forested region in the south to a low endemic Sahelian region in the north. Analysis was performed on proportions of mixed genotype infections, genotypic diversity among isolates, multilocus standardized index of association, and inter-population differentiation. Results Each location had similar levels of pairwise genotypic diversity among isolates, although there were many more mixed parasite genotype infections in the south. Apart from a few isolates that were virtually identical, the multilocus index of association was not significant in any population. Genetic differentiation between populations was low (most pairwise F ST values < 0.03), and an overall test for isolation by distance was not significant. Conclusions Although proportions of mixed genotype infections varied with endemicity as expected, population genetic structure was similar across the diverse sites. Very substantial reduction in transmission would be needed to cause fragmented or epidemic sub-structure in this region.