Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T19:32:52.034Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic diversity and dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax populations in multiply infected children with asymptomatic malaria infections in Papua New Guinea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2000

M. C. BRUCE ,
M. R. GALINSKI ,
J. W. BARNWELL ,
C. A. DONNELLY ,
M. WALMSLEY ,
M. P. ALPERS ,
D. WALLIKER  and
K. P. DAY
M. C. BRUCE
Affiliation:
Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3FY
M. R. GALINSKI
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
J. W. BARNWELL
Affiliation:
Biology and Diagnostic Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
C. A. DONNELLY
Affiliation:
Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3FY
M. WALMSLEY
Affiliation:
Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JN
M. P. ALPERS
Affiliation:
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, P.O. Box 378, Madang, Papua New Guinea
D. WALLIKER
Affiliation:
Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JN
K. P. DAY
Affiliation:
Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3FY
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We describe the dynamics of co-infections of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax in 28 asymptomatic children by genotyping these species using the polymorphic loci Msp2 and Msp3α, respectively. The total number of Plasmodium spp. infections detected using 3 day sampling over 61 days varied between 1 and 14 (mean 6·6). The dynamics of P. falciparum and P. vivax genotypes varied greatly both within and amongst children. Periodicity in the detection of P. falciparum infections is consistent with the synchronous replication of individual genotypes. Replication synchrony of multiple co- infecting genotypes was not detected. In 4-year-old children P. falciparum genotype complexity was reduced and episodes lasted significantly longer (median duration > 60 days) when compared to children aged 5–14 years (median duration 9 days). P. vivax genotype complexity was not correlated with age but the episode duration was also longer for this species in 4-year-olds than in older children but was not as long as P. falciparum episodes. Recurrence of P. falciparum and P. vivax genotypes over weeks was observed. We interpret these major fluctuations in the density of genotypes over time as the result of the mechanism of antigenic variation thought to be present in these Plasmodium species.

Keywords

Plasmodium falciparumPlasmodium vivaxdynamicsasymptomatic infectiongenotyping
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 121 , Issue 3 , September 2000 , pp. 257 - 272
Copyright
2000 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)