High prevalence and fixation of Plasmodium vivax dhfr/dhps mutations related to sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine resistance in French Guiana.

Plasmodium vivax isolates from French Guiana were studied for the presence of mutations associated with sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) drug resistance. Ninety-six blood samples were collected from 2000 to 2005 from symptomatic malaria patients. SP drug resistance was predicted by determining point mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase (pvdhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (pvdhps) genes. All samples showed mutant genotypes in both genes with a prevalence > 90% for the 58R, 117N, 382C, and 383G. A new mutation (116G) in pvdhfr was found at a frequency of 3.3%. Six different pvdhfr/dhps multilocus genotypes were observed with the predominance of the quintuple mutant-type 58R/117N/173L-382C/383G (59.3%). No significant differences were observed between the prevalence of haplotypes and the year of collection. Our results indicate that, in this area, the fixation of SP drug-resistant parasites in the P. vivax population is stable.