Journal
PARASITOLOGY
Volume 121, Issue -, Pages 257-272Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182099006356
Keywords
Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium vivax; dynamics; asymptomatic infection; genotyping
Categories
Funding
- NIAID NIH HHS [AI37545, AI24710] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We describe the dynamics of co-infections of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax in 28 asymptomatic children by genotyping these species using the polymorphic loci Msp2 and Msp3 alpha, respectively. The total number of Plasmodium spp. infections detected using 3 day sampling over 61 days varied between 1 and 14 (mean 6.6). The dynamics of P. falciparum and P. vivax genotypes varied greatly both within and amongst children. Periodicity in the detection of P. falciparum infections is consistent with the synchronous replication of individual genotypes. Replication synchrony of multiple coinfecting genotypes was not detected. In 4-year-old children P. falciparum genotype complexity was reduced and episodes lasted significantly longer (median duration > 60 days) when compared to children aged 5-14 years (median duration 9 days). P. vivax genotype complexity was not correlated with age but the episode duration was also longer for this species in 4-year-olds than in older children but was not as long as P. falciparum episodes. Recurrence of P. falciparum and P. vivax genotypes over weeks was observed. We interpret these major fluctuations in the density of genotypes over time as the result of the mechanism of antigenic variation thought to be present in these Plasmodium species.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available