Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity and multiplicity of infection in northern and southern Ghana assessed by amplicon sequencing.

ABSTRACT: Malaria is a significant public health challenge in Ghana, with Plasmodium falciparum accounting for 80-90 % of infections. This study aimed to determine whether different climatic conditions, demographics, transmission patterns, and control practices in northern and southern Ghana result in differences in the genetic diversity, population structure, and evolutionary dynamics of P. falciparum. A total of 354 clinical samples collected in 2018 and 2021 were analyzed using the amplicon sequencing approach, targeting the CSP, AMA1, SERA2, and TRAP genes. Parasite populations from both northern and southern Ghana exhibited high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.93-0.98). More than 70 % of the patient samples contained multiclonal infections, and the multiplicity of infection was significantly higher

SUBMITTER: Wei X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12520160 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature