Genetic surveillance reveals low, sustained malaria transmission with clonal replacement in Sao Tome and Principe.

ABSTRACT: Despite efforts to eliminate malaria in Sao Tome and Principe (STP), cases have recently increased. Understanding residual transmission structure is crucial for developing effective elimination strategies. This study collected surveillance data and generated amplicon sequencing data from 980 samples between 2010 and 2016 to examine the genetic structure of the parasite population. The mean multiplicity of infection (MOI) was 1.3, with 11% polyclonal infections, indicating low transmission intensity. Temporal trends of these genetic metrics did not align with incidence rates, suggesting that changes in genetic metrics may not straightforwardly reflect changes in transmission intensity, particularly in low transmission settings where genetic drift and importation have a substantial impact. W

SUBMITTER: Chen YA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11275696 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature