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Frontiers in Public Health 2014The four main Plasmodium species that cause human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium ovale, are transmitted between... (Review)
Review
The four main Plasmodium species that cause human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium ovale, are transmitted between humans by mosquito vectors belonging to the genus Anopheles. It has recently become evident that Plasmodium knowlesi, a parasite that typically infects forest macaque monkeys, can be transmitted by anophelines to cause malaria in humans in Southeast Asia. Plasmodium knowlesi infections are frequently misdiagnosed microscopically as P. malariae. Direct human to human transmission of P. knowlesi by anophelines has not yet been established to occur in nature. Knowlesi malaria must therefore be presently considered a zoonotic disease. Polymerase chain reaction is now the definitive method for differentiating P. knowlesi from P. malariae and other human malaria parasites. The origin of P. falciparum and P. vivax in African apes are examples of ancient zoonoses that may be continuing at the present time with at least P. vivax, and possibly P. malariae and P. ovale. Other non-human primate malaria species, e.g., Plasmodium cynomolgi in Southeast Asia and Plasmodium brasilianum and Plasmodium simium in South America, can be transmitted to humans by mosquito vectors further emphasizing the potential for continuing zoonoses. The potential for zoonosis is influenced by human habitation and behavior as well as the adaptive capabilities of parasites and vectors. There is insufficient knowledge of the bionomics of Anopheles vector populations relevant to the cross-species transfer of malaria parasites and the real extent of malaria zoonoses. Appropriate strategies, based on more research, need to be developed for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of zoonotic malaria.
PubMed: 25184118
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00123 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jan 2022Estimation of malaria prevalence in very low transmission settings is difficult by even the most advanced diagnostic tests. Antibodies against malaria antigens provide...
BACKGROUND
Estimation of malaria prevalence in very low transmission settings is difficult by even the most advanced diagnostic tests. Antibodies against malaria antigens provide an indicator of active or past exposure to these parasites. The prominent malaria species within Haiti is Plasmodium falciparum, but P. vivax and P. malariae infections are also known to be endemic.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
From 2014-2016, 28,681 Haitian children were enrolled in school-based serosurveys and were asked to provide a blood sample for detection of antibodies against multiple infectious diseases. IgG against the P. falciparum, P. vivax, and P. malariae merozoite surface protein 19kD subunit (MSP119) antigens was detected by a multiplex bead assay (MBA). A subset of samples was also tested for Plasmodium DNA by PCR assays, and for Plasmodium antigens by a multiplex antigen detection assay. Geospatial clustering of high seroprevalence areas for P. vivax and P. malariae antigens was assessed by both Ripley's K-function and Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic. Of 21,719 children enrolled in 680 schools in Haiti who provided samples to assay for IgG against PmMSP119, 278 (1.27%) were seropositive. Of 24,559 children enrolled in 788 schools providing samples for PvMSP119 serology, 113 (0.46%) were seropositive. Two significant clusters of seropositivity were identified throughout the country for P. malariae exposure, and two identified for P. vivax. No samples were found to be positive for Plasmodium DNA or antigens.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
From school-based surveys conducted from 2014 to 2016, very few Haitian children had evidence of exposure to P. vivax or P. malariae, with no children testing positive for active infection. Spatial scan statistics identified non-overlapping areas of the country with higher seroprevalence for these two malarias. Serological data provides useful information of exposure to very low endemic malaria species in a population that is unlikely to present to clinics with symptomatic infections.
Topics: Antibodies, Protozoan; Antigens, Protozoan; Child; Cluster Analysis; DNA, Protozoan; Female; Haiti; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Malaria; Male; Plasmodium malariae; Plasmodium vivax; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Species Specificity; Time Factors
PubMed: 34986142
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010049 -
Malaria Journal Feb 2011Described here is the first population genetic study of Plasmodium malariae, the causative agent of quartan malaria. Although not as deadly as Plasmodium falciparum, P.... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
Described here is the first population genetic study of Plasmodium malariae, the causative agent of quartan malaria. Although not as deadly as Plasmodium falciparum, P. malariae is more common than previously thought, and is frequently in sympatry and co-infection with P. falciparum, making its study increasingly important. This study compares the population parameters of the two species in two districts of Malawi with different malaria transmission patterns--one seasonal, one perennial--to explore the effects of transmission on population structures.
METHODS
Six species-specific microsatellite markers were used to analyse 257 P. malariae samples and 257 P. falciparum samples matched for age, gender and village of residence. Allele sizes were scored to within 2 bp for each locus and haplotypes were constructed from dominant alleles in multiple infections. Analysis of multiplicity of infection (MOI), population differentiation, clustering of haplotypes and linkage disequilibrium was performed for both species. Regression analyses were used to determine association of MOI measurements with clinical malaria parameters.
RESULTS
Multiple-genotype infections within each species were common in both districts, accounting for 86.0% of P. falciparum and 73.2% of P. malariae infections and did not differ significantly with transmission setting. Mean MOI of P. falciparum was increased under perennial transmission compared with seasonal (3.14 vs 2.59, p = 0.008) and was greater in children compared with adults. In contrast, P. malariae mean MOI was similar between transmission settings (2.12 vs 2.11) and there was no difference between children and adults. Population differentiation showed no significant differences between villages or districts for either species. There was no evidence of geographical clustering of haplotypes. Linkage disequilibrium amongst loci was found only for P. falciparum samples from the seasonal transmission setting.
CONCLUSIONS
The extent of similarity between P. falciparum and P. malariae population structure described by the high level of multiple infection, the lack of significant population differentiation or haplotype clustering and lack of linkage disequilibrium is surprising given the differences in the biological features of these species that suggest a reduced potential for out-crossing and transmission in P. malariae. The absence of a rise in P. malariae MOI with increased transmission or a reduction in MOI with age could be explained by differences in the duration of infection or degree of immunity compared to P. falciparum.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Cluster Analysis; DNA Fingerprinting; DNA, Protozoan; Female; Genotype; Haplotypes; Humans; Infant; Linkage Disequilibrium; Malaria; Malawi; Male; Microsatellite Repeats; Middle Aged; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium malariae; Young Adult
PubMed: 21314950
DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-38 -
Malaria Journal Aug 2020Plasmodium malariae is a widely spread but neglected human malaria parasite, which causes chronic infections. Studies on genetic polymorphisms of anti-malarial drug...
BACKGROUND
Plasmodium malariae is a widely spread but neglected human malaria parasite, which causes chronic infections. Studies on genetic polymorphisms of anti-malarial drug target genes in P. malariae are limited. Previous reports have shown polymorphisms in the P. malariae dihydrofolate reductase gene associated with pyrimethamine resistance and linked to pyrimethamine drug pressure. This study investigated polymorphisms of the P. malariae homologous genes, chloroquine resistant transporter and multidrug resistant 1, associated with chloroquine and mefloquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum.
METHODS
The orthologous P. malariae crt and mdr1 genes were studied in 95 patients with P. malariae infection between 2002 and 2016 from Thailand (N = 51) and Myanmar (N = 44). Gene sequences were analysed using BioEdit, MEGA7, and DnaSP programs. Mutations and gene amplifications were compared with P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax orthologous genes. Protein topology models derived from the observed pmcrt and pmmdr1 haplotypes were constructed and analysed using Phyre2, SWISS MODEL and Discovery Studio Visualization V 17.2.
RESULTS
Two non-synonymous mutations were observed in exon 2 (H53P, 40%) and exon 8 (E278D, 44%) of pmcrt. The topology model indicated that H53P and E278D were located outside of the transmembrane domain and were unlikely to affect protein function. Pmmdr1 was more diverse than pmcrt, with 10 non-synonymous and 3 synonymous mutations observed. Non-synonymous mutations were located in the parasite cytoplasmic site, transmembrane 11 and nucleotide binding domains 1 and 2. Polymorphisms conferring amino acid changes in the transmembrane and nucleotide binding domains were predicted to have some effect on PmMDR1 conformation, but were unlikely to affect protein function. All P. malariae parasites in this study contained a single copy of the mdr1 gene.
CONCLUSIONS
The observed polymorphisms in pmcrt and pmmdr1 genes are unlikely to affect protein function and unlikely related to chloroquine drug pressure. Similarly, the absence of pmmdr1 copy number variation suggests limited mefloquine drug pressure on the P. malariae parasite population, despite its long time use in Thailand for the treatment of falciparum malaria.
Topics: Chloroquine; Drug Resistance; Insecticides; Mefloquine; Membrane Transport Proteins; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins; Myanmar; Plasmodium malariae; Polymorphism, Genetic; Protozoan Proteins; Thailand
PubMed: 32867773
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03391-6 -
Tropical Medicine and Health 2017Human infection caused by non-human primate malarial parasites, such as and , occurs naturally in Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam. Members of the species... (Review)
Review
Human infection caused by non-human primate malarial parasites, such as and , occurs naturally in Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam. Members of the species complex are known to be important vectors of human malarial parasites in the forested areas of southern and central Vietnam, including those in Khanh Phu commune and Khanh Hoa Province. Recent molecular epidemiological studies in Vietnam have reported cases of co-infection with , , , and in . The commonly found macaques in the forest in the forested areas are suspected to be bitten by the same population that bites humans. A recent epidemiological study identified six species of malarial parasites in sporozoite-infected using polymerase chain reaction, of which was the most common, followed by , , , , and . Based on a gametocyte analysis, the same allelic gametocyte types were observed in both humans and mosquitoes at similar frequencies. These observations suggest that people who stay overnight in the forests are frequently infected with both human and non-human primate malarial parasites, leading to the emergence of novel zoonotic malaria. Moreover, it is suggested that mosquito vector populations should be controlled and monitored closely.
PubMed: 29046610
DOI: 10.1186/s41182-017-0065-6 -
International Journal of Infectious... May 2014Since the initial discovery of Plasmodium knowlesi in Malaysia, cases have been reported from several neighbouring countries. Tourism has also resulted in an increasing... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Since the initial discovery of Plasmodium knowlesi in Malaysia, cases have been reported from several neighbouring countries. Tourism has also resulted in an increasing number of cases diagnosed in Europe, America, and Oceania. In this review we focus on the risk of the travel-associated acquisition of P. knowlesi malaria.
METHODS
A search of the literature in PubMed was carried out to identify articles and literature on the distribution of P. knowlesi infections in Southeast Asia and details of its acquisition and importation by travellers to other continents. The cut-off date for the search was December 1, 2013. Search words used were: "Plasmodium knowlesi", "Plasmodium knowlesi infections", "Plasmodium knowlesi travellers", "Plasmodium knowlesi prevalence", "Plasmodium knowlesi host", "Plasmodium knowlesi vector" "Plasmodium knowlesi RDT", and "Plasmodium knowlesi Malaysia". Traveller numbers to Malaysia were obtained from the Tourism Malaysia website.
RESULTS
A total of 103 articles were found. Using a selection of these and others identified from the reference lists of the papers, we based our review on a total of 66 articles.
RESULTS
P. knowlesi malaria appears to be the most common malaria species in Malaysian Borneo and is also widely distributed on the Malaysian mainland. Furthermore, locally transmitted cases of P. knowlesi malaria have been reported in Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, Indonesian Borneo, and Cambodia. Two cases have been reported from non-endemic countries in Asia (Japan and Taiwan) in people with a history of travel to Malaysia and the Philippines. Twelve cases were imported to their home countries by travellers from other continents: two from the USA, two from the Netherlands, two from Germany, and one each from Spain, France, Sweden, Finland, Australia, and New Zealand. In most cases, the infection was associated with a trip to or near forested areas. The symptoms were fever (n=12), headache (n=6), chills (n=6), nausea (n=4), myalgia (n=3), back pain (n=3), abdominal problems (n=1), anorexia (n=2), fatigue (n=2), malaise (n=1), arthralgia (n=1), sore throat (n=1) vomiting (n=2), and jaundice (n=1). All patients were treated successfully with currently available antimalaria treatments. The identification of the pathogen by microscopy can be problematic due to the morphological similarity of P. knowlesi to Plasmodium malariae.
CONCLUSION
P. knowlesi appears to be a threat not only to the local population in Malaysia, but also to the estimated 25 million annual tourists and occupational travellers to Malaysia, especially those who visit rural, forested areas of the country. The P. knowlesi risk is not limited to Malaysia, and travellers from Southeast Asia presenting with possible malaria should be considered for a diagnostic work-up that includes P. knowlesi.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Antimalarials; Asia, Southeastern; Child; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Macaca fascicularis; Malaria; Male; Plasmodium knowlesi; Plasmodium malariae; Travel
PubMed: 24631521
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2013.12.016 -
Malaria Journal Jul 2016In an effort to improve surveillance for epidemiological and clinical outcomes, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have become increasingly widespread as cost-effective and...
Low prevalence of Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale mono-infections among children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a population-based, cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
In an effort to improve surveillance for epidemiological and clinical outcomes, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have become increasingly widespread as cost-effective and field-ready methods of malaria diagnosis. However, there are concerns that using RDTs specific to Plasmodium falciparum may lead to missed detection of other malaria species such as Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale.
METHODS
Four hundred and sixty six samples were selected from children under 5 years old in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who took part in a Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in 2013-14. These samples were first tested for all Plasmodium species using an 18S ribosomal RNA-targeted real-time PCR; malaria-positive samples were then tested for P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale using a highly sensitive nested PCR.
RESULTS
The prevalence of P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale were 46.6, 12.9 and 8.3 %, respectively. Most P. malariae and P. ovale infections were co-infected with P. falciparum-the prevalence of mono-infections of these species were only 1.0 and 0.6 %, respectively. Six out of these eight mono-infections were negative by RDT. The prevalence of P. falciparum by the more sensitive nested PCR was higher than that found previously by real-time PCR.
CONCLUSIONS
Plasmodium malariae and P. ovale remain endemic at a low rate in the DRC, but the risk of missing malarial infections of these species due to falciparum-specific RDT use is low. The observed prevalence of P. falciparum is higher with a more sensitive PCR method.
Topics: Adult; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Malaria; Male; Plasmodium malariae; Plasmodium ovale; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; RNA, Protozoan; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
PubMed: 27392905
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1409-0 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2020Microsatellites can be utilized to explore genotypes, population structure, and other genomic features of eukaryotes. Systematic characterization of microsatellites has...
Microsatellites can be utilized to explore genotypes, population structure, and other genomic features of eukaryotes. Systematic characterization of microsatellites has not been a focus for several species of Plasmodium, including P. malariae and P. ovale, as the majority of malaria elimination programs are focused on P. falciparum and to a lesser extent P. vivax. Here, five human malaria species (P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale curtisi, and P. knowlesi) were investigated with the aim of conducting in-depth categorization of microsatellites for P. malariae and P. ovale curtisi. Investigation of reference genomes for microsatellites with unit motifs of 1-10 base pairs indicates high diversity among the five Plasmodium species. Plasmodium malariae, with the largest genome size, displays the second highest microsatellite density (1421 No./Mbp; 5% coverage) next to P. falciparum (3634 No./Mbp; 12% coverage). The lowest microsatellite density was observed in P. vivax (773 No./Mbp; 2% coverage). A, AT, and AAT are the most commonly repeated motifs in the Plasmodium species. For P. malariae and P. ovale curtisi, microsatellite-related sequences are observed in approximately 18-29% of coding sequences (CDS). Lysine, asparagine, and glutamic acids are most frequently coded by microsatellite-related CDS. The majority of these CDS could be related to the gene ontology terms "cell parts," "binding," "developmental processes," and "metabolic processes." The present study provides a comprehensive overview of microsatellite distribution and can assist in the planning and development of potentially useful genetic tools for further investigation of P. malariae and P. ovale curtisi epidemiology.
Topics: Gene Ontology; Genome, Protozoan; Genotype; Microsatellite Repeats; Plasmodium; Plasmodium malariae; Plasmodium ovale; Tandem Repeat Sequences
PubMed: 32410726
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2020034 -
Bulletin of the World Health... 1991Transmission of Plasmodium falciparum and P. malariae was studied in a village in Burkina Faso. Consecutive captures of mosquitos were organized twice a month over a...
Transmission of Plasmodium falciparum and P. malariae was studied in a village in Burkina Faso. Consecutive captures of mosquitos were organized twice a month over a year and the species of the mosquitos identified. Also, the prevalences and densities of Plasmodium spp. were determined every 2 months in a sample of children who lived in the village. Anopheles gambiae, A. funestus, and A. nili were the local vectors, but only the first two played a predominant role in both P. falciparum and P. malariae transmission. The parasitological sporozoite index (SI) was 4.48% for A. gambiae and 4.22% for A. funestus. The immunological SIs were higher: 5.82% of A. gambiae were infected with P. falciparum and only 0.16% with P. malariae; the corresponding proportions for A. funestus were 6.45% and 0.41%. Transmission of Plasmodium spp. by A. gambiae was important during the rainy season (July-October) and by A. funestus at the beginning of the dry season (September-November). Each child in the study village could receive about 396 P. falciparum-infected bites per year but only 22 of P. malariae. The P. falciparum parasite indices were maximum during the middle of the rainy season (August), while those for P. malariae reached a peak during the dry season (February).
Topics: Adolescent; Animals; Burkina Faso; Child; Child, Preschool; Culicidae; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Infant; Longitudinal Studies; Malaria; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium malariae; Prevalence; Risk Factors
PubMed: 1677615
DOI: No ID Found -
BMC Infectious Diseases Nov 2015The merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) gene encodes the major surface antigen of invasive forms of the Plasmodium erythrocytic stages and is considered a candidate...
BACKGROUND
The merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) gene encodes the major surface antigen of invasive forms of the Plasmodium erythrocytic stages and is considered a candidate vaccine antigen against malaria. Due to its polymorphisms, MSP1 is also useful for strain discrimination and consists of a good genetic marker. Sequence diversity in MSP1 has been analyzed in field isolates of three human parasites: P. falciparum, P. vivax, and P. ovale. However, the extent of variation in another human parasite, P. malariae, remains unknown. This parasite shows widespread, uneven distribution in tropical and subtropical regions throughout South America, Asia, and Africa. Interestingly, it is genetically indistinguishable from P. brasilianum, a parasite known to infect New World monkeys in Central and South America.
METHODS
Specific fragments (1 to 5) covering 60 % of the MSP1 gene (mainly the putatively polymorphic regions), were amplified by PCR in isolates of P. malariae and P. brasilianum from different geographic origin and hosts. Sequencing of the PCR-amplified products or cloned PCR fragments was performed and the sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic tree by the maximum likelihood method. Data were computed to give insights into the evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships of these parasites.
RESULTS
Except for fragment 4, sequences from all other fragments consisted of unpublished sequences. The most polymorphic gene region was fragment 2, and in samples where this region lacks polymorphism, all other regions are also identical. The low variability of the P. malariae msp1 sequences of these isolates and the identification of the same haplotype in those collected many years apart at different locations is compatible with a low transmission rate. We also found greater diversity among P. brasilianum isolates compared with P. malariae ones. Lastly, the sequences were segregated according to their geographic origins and hosts, showing a strong genetic and geographic structure.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that there is a low level of sequence diversity and a possible absence of allelic dimorphism of MSP1 in these parasites as opposed to other Plasmodium species. P. brasilianum strains apparently show greater divergence in comparison to P. malariae, thus P. malariae could derive from P. brasilianum, as it has been proposed.
Topics: Alleles; Animals; Brazil; Culicidae; Genetic Variation; Humans; Likelihood Functions; Merozoite Surface Protein 1; Phylogeny; Plasmodium; Plasmodium malariae; Polymorphism, Genetic
PubMed: 26572971
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-015-1238-8