Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUNDMalaria caused by Plasmodium malariae is geographically widespread and sometimes associated with prolonged infection, yet little is known about its genomic epidemiology.METHODSWe performed hybrid capture and whole-genome sequencing of 77 isolates collected from Cameroon (n = 7), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (n = 16), Nigeria (n = 4), and Tanzania (n = 50) between 2015 and 2021, analyzing parasite genetic population structure and demography.RESULTSThere is no evidence of geographic population structure. Nucleotide diversity was significantly lower than in colocalized P. falciparum isolates, while linkage disequilibrium was significantly higher. Genome-wide selection scans identified no erythrocyte invasion ligands or antimalarial resistance orthologs as top hits; however, targeted analyses of these loci revealed evidence of selective sweeps around 4 erythrocyte invasion ligands and 6 antimalarial resistance orthologs. Demographic inference modeling suggests that African P. malariae is recovering from a bottleneck.CONCLUSIONP. malariae is genomically atypical among human Plasmodium spp. and lacks strong population structure in Africa. The low diversity has potential impacts on understanding persistent versus new infection through genomic epidemiology.FUNDINGBill & Melinda Gates Foundation (grant 002202), USAID/PMI through Jhpiego and CDC, NIH (T32AI007151, T32AI070114, R01AI107949, R01AI129812, R21 AI148579, R01AI137395, R21AI152260, R01AI132547, and K24AI134990), and the DELTAS Africa initiative (DELGEME grant 107740/Z/15/Z).
Source: JCI Insight
Authors: Zachary R. Popkin-Hall, Kelly Carey-Ewend, Farhang Aghakhanian, Eniyou C. Oriero, Misago D. Seth, Melchior M. Kashamuka, Billy Ngasala, Innocent M. Ali, Eric Sompwe Mukomena, Celine I. Mandara, Oksana Kharabora, Rachel Sendor, Alfred Simkin, Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, Antoinette Tshefu, Abebe A. Fola, Deus S. Ishengoma, Jeffrey A. Bailey, Jonathan B. Parr, Jessica T. Lin, Jonathan J. Juliano
Institutions: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, MRC Unit the Gambia, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Medical Research, Ecole de santé publique de Kinshasa, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Université de Dschang, University of Lubumbashi, Brown University, Harvard University, Kampala International University in Tanzania
Language: English
Topic: Malaria Research and Control
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,100
Funders: United States Agency for International Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Government of the United Kingdom, Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, New Partnership for Africa's Development, African Academy of Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Awards: A longitudinal epidemiological and epidemiological study of malaria and its vectors in the Kinshasa province, G2369200731, G2430901129, G266325959, G3020970621, Development of novel diagnostics for African non-falciparum malaria, G3826974851, G3848720418, Developing Excellence in Leadership and Genetic Training for Malaria Elimination in Sub-Saharan Africa (DELGEME), G4178498958, Plasmodium ovale hypnozoite development and relapse: a coordinated in vivo in vitro study, G469348483, G47371191, Developing Excellence in Leadership and Genetic Training for Malaria Elimination in Sub-Saharan Africa (DELGEME), G6600018887, Epidemiological and Spatial Models of Malaria Transmission, G6868616705, G7083145003, G7226365943, G740615033, Determinants of malaria transmission by submicroscopic gametocytemia, RDT-undetectable Malaria in the DR Congo: Epidemiology and Development of Alternatives, Training in Infectious Disease Epidemiology (TIDE), Relapsing malaria in Africa: mechanisms for persistence amid falciparum decline, Mentoring in Translational Malaria Genomics, Infectious Disease Pathogenesis Research Training Program
OpenAlex ID: W4402350596