Abstract
BackgroundConcurrent malaria and arbovirus infections are common and represent an important public health concern in regions where both diseases are endemic. The present study investigates the genetic diversity and complexity of Plasmodium falciparum infection in concurrent malaria-arbovirus infections in Kedougou region, southeastern Senegal.MethodsParasite DNA was extracted from 60 to 27 sera samples collected from P. falciparum isolates of malaria and concurrent malaria-arbovirus infected patients, respectively, and followed by PCR-genotyping targeting the msp-1 (block2) and msp-2 (block3) allelic families.ResultsThe mean number of genotype per allelic family was comparable between the two groups. K1 was the predominant msp-1 allelic type both in malaria (94.91 %) and arbovirus-malaria (92.59 %) groups, whereas IC/3D7 was the most prevalent msp-2 allelic type in malaria (94.91 %) and arbovirus-malaria (96.29 %) groups. Frequencies of msp-1 and msp-2 allelic types were statistically comparable between the two groups (Fisher exact test, P > 0.05) and were not associated with age. FC27 was strikingly the least prevalent in both groups and was absent in children under 5 years of age. The proportions of P. falciparum isolates from malaria-infected patients carrying the three msp-1 allelic types (67.44 %) or the two msp-2 allelic types (76.47 %) were significantly higher than those from arbovirus-malaria co-infected patients (Exact binomial test, P < 0.05). The multiplicities of infection (MOI) were low and comparable for msp-1 (1.19 vs 1.22) and msp-2 (1.11 vs 1.10), respectively between malaria and arbovirus-malaria groups.ConclusionThe study showed no difference in the genetic diversity between P. falciparum isolates from malaria and concurrent malaria-arbovirus infected patients in Kedougou. The MOI was low despite intense malaria transmission in Kedougou. The overall results suggest a limited or no influence of arbovirus infections on P. falciparum diversity and complexity of malaria infection.
Highlights
Concurrent malaria and arbovirus infections are common and represent an important public health concern in regions where both diseases are endemic
32 were uniquely positive for P. falciparum based on rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and/or microscopy examination (Fig. 1, branch A), 18 were concurrently positive for P. falciparum and arboviral infections (Fig. 1, branch B), 13 were uniquely infected by arboviruses (Fig. 1, branch C), while 38 were negative for both arboviral and malaria infections (Fig. 1, branch D)
The genetic diversity exhibited by P. falciparum isolates from malaria-infected patients and concurrent arboviruses-malaria co-infected patients was investigated in Kedougou region with an ultimate goal of determining whether co-infection with an arbovirus contributed to the overall genetic diversity of
Summary
Concurrent malaria and arbovirus infections are common and represent an important public health concern in regions where both diseases are endemic. Investigations of the nature of interactions between helminths and malaria led to contradictory results probably as the result of the complex nature of the immune response to malaria parasites, due to the antigenic diversity of Plasmodium stages, or the altered immune responses resulting from co-infections [13]. The latter altered immune responses have been associated with greater complexity of malaria infection and parasite genetic diversity, one of the limitations to the development of an effective vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria [14, 15]
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