Low Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein 2 and 3 Gene Deletions—A Multiregional Study in Central and West Africa

Autor: Tina Krueger, Moses Ikegbunam, Abel Lissom, Thaisa Lucas Sandri, Jacques Dollon Mbama Ntabi, Jean Claude Djontu, Marcel Tapsou Baina, Roméo Aimé Laclong Lontchi, Moustapha Maloum, Givina Zang Ella, Romuald Agonhossou, Romaric Akoton, Luc Djogbenou, Steffen Borrmann, Jana Held, Francine Ntoumi, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Andrea Kreidenweiss
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Pathogens, Vol 12, Iss 3, p 455 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2076-0817
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030455
Popis: Plasmodium falciparum parasites carrying deletions of histidine-rich protein 2 and 3 genes, pfhrp2 and pfhrp3, respectively, are likely to escape detection via HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and, consequently, treatment, posing a major risk to both the health of the infected individual and malaria control efforts. This study assessed the frequency of pfhrp2- and pfhrp3-deleted strains at four different study sites in Central Africa (number of samples analyzed: Gabon N = 534 and the Republic of Congo N = 917) and West Africa (number of samples analyzed: Nigeria N = 466 and Benin N = 120) using a highly sensitive multiplex qPCR. We found low prevalences for pfhrp2 (1%, 0%, 0.03% and 0) and pfhrp3 single deletions (0%, 0%, 0.03% and 0%) at all study sites (Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Benin, respectively). Double-deleted P. falciparum were only found in Nigeria in 1.6% of all internally controlled samples. The results of this pilot investigation do not point towards a high risk for false-negative RDT results due to pfhrp2/pfhrp3 deletions in Central and West African regions. However, as this scenario can change rapidly, continuous monitoring is essential to ensure that RDTs remain a suitable tool for the malaria diagnostic strategy.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals