Risk of Plasmodium vivax malaria reintroduction in Uzbekistan: genetic characterization of parasites and status of potential malaria vectors in the Surkhandarya region.

Plasmodium vivax malaria was eradicated from Uzbekistan in 1961. Due to resurgence of the disease in neighbouring states and massive population migration, there has been an increase of P. vivax malaria, imported from Tajikistan, resulting in a number of indigenous cases being identified in areas bordering that country. A molecular study using the merozoite surface protein 1 (msp-1) gene as a marker was performed on 24 P. vivax genomic isolates from 12 indigenous and 10 imported malaria cases that occurred in the Surkhandarya region during the summer of 2002. Results have shown a significant difference in the frequency of msp-1 types between indigenous and imported isolates, the latter showing greater genetic heterogeneity. An entomological investigation in the area suggested that three Anopheles species, namely A. superpictus, A. pulcherrimus and A. hyrcanus may have a potential role in the endemic transmission of P. vivax.