Journal article

Independent lineages of highly sulfadoxine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum haplotypes, Eastern Africa

SM Taylor, AL Antonia, WE Harrington, MM Goheen, V Mwapasa, E Chaluluka, M Fried, E Kabyemela, M Madanitsa, C Khairallah, L Kalilani-Phiri, AK Tshefu, SJ Rogerson, FO ter Kuile, PE Duffy, SR Meshnick

Emerging Infectious Diseases | CENTERS DISEASE CONTROL | Published : 2014

Open access

Abstract

Sulfadoxine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum undermines malaria prevention with sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine. Parasites with a highly resistant mutant dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) haplotype have recently emerged in eastern Africa; they negated preventive benefits of sulfadoxine/ pyrimethamine, and might exacerbate placental malaria. We explored emerging lineages of dhps mutant haplotypes in Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania by using analyses of genetic microsatellites flanking the dhps locus. In Malawi, a triple-mutant dhps SGEG (mutant amino acids are underlined) haplotype emerged in 2010 that was closely related to pre-existing double-mutant SGEA haplotypes, suggest..

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University of Melbourne Researchers