Abstract
BackgroundEcuador plans to eliminate malaria by 2020, and the country has already seen a decrease in the number of cases from more than 100,000 in 2000 to only 618 in 2015. Around 30% of malaria infections in Ecuador are caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Most malaria population genetics studies performed in Latin America, especially in the Pacific Coast, indicate a high clonality and a clear structure of P. falciparum populations. It was shown that an outbreak of P. falciparum in northwest Ecuador was the result of a clonal expansion of parasites circulating at low levels in the country or re-invading Ecuador from neighbouring territories. However, general characteristics of P. falciparum circulating in the northwest coast of Ecuador have not been determined. The main goal of this study was to genetically characterize the population structure of P. falciparum in coastal Ecuadorian localities bordering with Colombia.MethodsMolecular investigation of 41 samples collected from 2013 to 2016 in San Lorenzo County, northwest Ecuador was performed using seven neutral microsatellite markers.ResultsThe genetic population structure of P. falciparum in northwest Ecuador is clearly defined as three different genetic groups previously reported in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.ConclusionsThe limited number of P. falciparum clonal types that are circulating in northwest Ecuador, are related to ancestral parasite clonal lineages reported in the Pacific Coast. These parasites could be a product of migration from neighbouring regions or residual clonal types circulating in the country in low proportions. Studies of the genetic characterization of P. falciparum in eliminating areas help determine the possible origin of parasites in order to create strategies to prevent the entrance of new lineages and achieve local elimination of malaria.
Highlights
Ecuador plans to eliminate malaria by 2020, and the country has already seen a decrease in the num‐ ber of cases from more than 100,000 in 2000 to only 618 in 2015
Genetic characterization of Ecuadorian Plasmodium falciparum using neutral microsatellite markers To determine the genetic composition of isolates from northwest Ecuador, Esmeraldas province, San Lorenzo county, between 2013 and 2016, seven neutral microsatellite markers located in six different chromosomes were genotyped
The marker Poly-α was one of the most diverse with five alleles: the allele 180 was the most common (42%) in all the samples, while 34% of the samples (14/41) had the allele 147, the allele 183 was present in 15% of the samples (6/41) and the allele 174 was present in 7% (3/41) of the samples, the allele 177 was present in 2% (1/41) of the samples
Summary
Ecuador plans to eliminate malaria by 2020, and the country has already seen a decrease in the num‐ ber of cases from more than 100,000 in 2000 to only 618 in 2015. Genetic characterization of circulating malaria parasites in a specific area, especially in areas targeted for elimination, provide insights about the genetic connectivity of currently circulating populations to ancestral lineages and determine if left over residual historical parasite lineages are contributing to local transmission. This will help to determine if new parasite lineages that have migrated from other regions are contributing to current malaria transmission. The level of diversity and its distribution provide insights
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