Mariangela L'Episcopia1, Julia Kelley2, Dhruviben Patel2, Sarah Schmedes3, Shashidahar Ravishankar4, Michela Menegon5, Edvige Perrotti5, Abduselam M Nurahmed6, Albadawi A Talha7,8, Bakri Y Nour9, Naomi Lucchi10, Carlo Severini5, Eldin Talundzic10. 1. Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. mariangela.lepiscopia@iss.it. 2. Atlanta Research and Education Foundation, VAMC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. 3. Association of Public Health Laboratories, Silver Spring, MD, USA. 4. School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. 5. Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. 6. Cansford Laboratories, Pentwyn Business Centre, Cardiff, UK. 7. Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Gezira, Gezira, Sudan. 8. Department of clinical laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Juof University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia. 9. Blue Nile Research National Institute for Communicable Diseases, University of Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan. 10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CGH, DPDM, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Routine molecular surveillance for imported drug-resistant malaria parasites to the USA and European Union is an important public health activity. The obtained molecular data are used to help keep chemoprophylaxis and treatment guidelines up to date for persons traveling to malaria endemic countries. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies provide a new and effective way of tracking malaria drug-resistant parasites. METHODS: As part of a technology transfer arrangement between the CDC Malaria Branch and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy, the recently described Malaria Resistance Surveillance (MaRS) protocol was used to genotype 148 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Eritrea for kelch 13 (k13) and cytochrome b (cytb) genes, molecular markers associated with resistance to artemisinin (ART) and atovaquone/proguanil (AP), respectively. RESULTS: Spanning the full-length k13 gene, seven non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found (K189N, K189T, E208K, D281V, E401Q, R622I and T535M), of which none have been associated with artemisinin resistance. No mutations were found in cytochrome b. CONCLUSION: All patients successfully genotyped carried parasites susceptible to ART and AP treatment. Future studies between CDC Malaria Branch and ISS are planned to expand the MaRS system, including data sharing, in an effort to maintain up to date treatment guidelines for travelers to malaria endemic countries.
BACKGROUND: Routine molecular surveillance for imported drug-resistant malaria parasites to the USA and European Union is an important public health activity. The obtained molecular data are used to help keep chemoprophylaxis and treatment guidelines up to date for persons traveling to malaria endemic countries. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies provide a new and effective way of tracking malaria drug-resistant parasites. METHODS: As part of a technology transfer arrangement between the CDC Malaria Branch and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy, the recently described Malaria Resistance Surveillance (MaRS) protocol was used to genotype 148 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Eritrea for kelch 13 (k13) and cytochrome b (cytb) genes, molecular markers associated with resistance to artemisinin (ART) and atovaquone/proguanil (AP), respectively. RESULTS: Spanning the full-length k13 gene, seven non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found (K189N, K189T, E208K, D281V, E401Q, R622I and T535M), of which none have been associated with artemisinin resistance. No mutations were found in cytochrome b. CONCLUSION: All patients successfully genotyped carried parasites susceptible to ART and AP treatment. Future studies between CDC Malaria Branch and ISS are planned to expand the MaRS system, including data sharing, in an effort to maintain up to date treatment guidelines for travelers to malaria endemic countries.
Entities:
Keywords:
Drug resistance; Molecular surveillance; Next-generation sequencing; Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Matthew M Ippolito; Kara A Moser; Jean-Bertin Bukasa Kabuya; Clark Cunningham; Jonathan J Juliano Journal: Curr Epidemiol Rep Date: 2021-03-14