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In Nepal, Plasmodium vivax accounts for approximately 80-90% of the malaria cases, but limited studies have been conducted on the genetic diversity of this parasite population. This study was carried out to determine the genetic diversity of P. vivax population sampled from subjects living in an endemic area of Jhapa District by analyzing the polymorphic merozoite surface protein-3alpha (Pvmsp-3alpha) gene by using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Three distinct genotypes were obtained from 96 samples; type A: 40 (71%), type B: 7 (13%), and type C: 9 (16%) which could be categorized into 13 allelic patterns: A1-A9, B1, B2, C1 and C2. These results indicated a high genetic diversity within the studied P. vivax population. As the transmission rate of malaria is low in Nepal, the diversity is most likely due to migration of people between the malaria endemic regions, either within the country or between Nepal and India. Similar prevalence of the three genotypes of Pvmsp-3alpha between the two countries likely supports the latter explanation.

Type

Journal article

Journal

The Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health

Publication Date

03/2012

Volume

43

Pages

280 - 286

Addresses

Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal; 2Center for Medical Parasitology, Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; 3Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. madi_may@hotmail.com

Keywords

Animals, Humans, Plasmodium vivax, Malaria, Vivax, Protozoan Proteins, Genetic Markers, Antigens, Protozoan, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Genotype, Alleles, Nepal, Merozoites, Genetic Variation