Partner study description

The island of Madagascar is geographically situated in the south western region of the Indian Ocean and amongst malaria-endemic countries, its situation is unique: historically, human migration has occurred from both Africa and Asia; Duffy negative people can be susceptible to Plasmodium vivax; there is an absence of pfcrt mutant Plasmodium falciparum despite the official use of chloroquine to treat malaria for six decades (1945 – 2005). This study is mainly investigating Plasmodium samples collected directly from patients with uncomplicated malaria, as well as tracking malaria parasites and genetic markers of drug resistance in these parasites. This long-term study is contributing to the Plasmodium Diversity Network Africa (PDNA), an African-led network investigating the genetic diversity and drug resistance of Plasmodium across Africa.

Publications

• Genomic analysis of local variation and recent evolution in Plasmodium vivax
  Pearson et al
  Nature Genetics, 2016; 48 959-964
  10.1038/ng.3599
• Genomic epidemiology of artemisinin resistant malaria
  MalariaGEN P. falciparum Community Project
  eLife, 2016; 5 e08714
  10.7554/eLife.08714
• K13-propeller polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum parasites from sub-Saharan Africa
  Kamau et al.
  Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2015; 211(8) 1352-5
  10.1093/infdis/jiu608
• Monitoring parasite diversity for malaria elimination in sub-Saharan Africa
  Ghansah et al.
  Science, 2014; 345(6202) 1297-8
  10.1126/science.1259423