Plasmodium vivax VK247 and VK210 circumsporozoite proteins in Anopheles mosquitoes from Andoas, Peru.

Anopheles mosquitoes captured in Andoas, Peru, a Plasmodium vivax-endemic area in the Peruvian Amazon region, contained both VK210 and VK247 P. vivax circumsporozoite (CS) proteins. Approximately 0.9% of the 4,403 mosquitoes tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were positive; 28% and 72% of the positive mosquitoes contained VK210 and VK247 CS proteins, respectively. These findings correlate strongly with a recent report of the presence of antibodies in residents of this area that recognize the VK210 and VK247 repeats, clearly indicating that both P. vivax CS protein polymorphs are common in the region.