Malaria surveillance reveals parasite relatedness, signatures of selection, and correlates of transmission across Senegal.

ABSTRACT: We here analyze data from the first year of an ongoing nationwide program of genetic surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in Senegal. The analysis is based on 1097 samples collected at health facilities during passive malaria case detection in 2019; it provides a baseline for analyzing parasite genetic metrics as they vary over time and geographic space. The study's goal was to identify genetic metrics that were informative about transmission intensity and other aspects of transmission dynamics, focusing on measures of genetic relatedness between parasites. We found the best genetic proxy for local malaria incidence to be the proportion of polygenomic infections (those with multiple genetically distinct parasites), although this relationship broke down at low incidence. The prop

SUBMITTER: Schaffner SF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10638404 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature