Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax Infections in the Peruvian Amazon: Propagation of Complex, Multiple Allele-Type Infections without Super-Infection

Patrick L. Sutton Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana–Laboratorio de Investigaciones Productos Naturales Anti-parasitarios, Iquitos, Peru; Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York

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Victor Neyra Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana–Laboratorio de Investigaciones Productos Naturales Anti-parasitarios, Iquitos, Peru; Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York

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Jean N. Hernandez Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana–Laboratorio de Investigaciones Productos Naturales Anti-parasitarios, Iquitos, Peru; Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York

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OraLee H. Branch Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana–Laboratorio de Investigaciones Productos Naturales Anti-parasitarios, Iquitos, Peru; Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York

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Outcrossing potential between Plasmodium parasites is defined by the population-level diversity (PLD) and complexity of infection (COI). There have been few studies of PLD and COI in low transmission regions. Since the 1995–1998 Peruvian Amazon epidemic, there has been sustained transmission with < 0.5 P. falciparum and < 1.6 P. vivax infections/person/year. Using weekly active case detection, we described PLD by heterozygosity (He) and COI using P. falciparum Pfmsp1-B2 and P. vivax Pvmsp3α. Not being homologous genes, we limited comparisons to within species. P. falciparum (N = 293) had low (He = 0.581) and P. vivax (N = 186) had high (He = 0.845) PLD. A total of 9.5% P. falciparum infections and 26.3% P. vivax infections had COI > 1. Certain allele types were in more mixed infections than expected by chance. The few appearances of new alleles could be explained by stochastic polymerase chain reaction detection or synchronization/sequestration. The results suggest propagation of mixed infections by multiple inocula, not super-infection, implying decade-long opportunity for outcrossing in these mixed infections.

Author Notes

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