Ma. Missinou et al., Change in Plasmodium falciparum genotype during successive malaria episodes in Gabonese children, PARASIT RES, 87(12), 2001, pp. 1020-1023
Extensive polymorphism in the malaria parasite Plasmodium,falciparum is one
of the major obstacles to controlling the disease. With the aim of analysi
ng the dynamics of P. falciparum inoculations, we investigated the parasite
genotypes of successive malaria episodes. Polymerase chain reaction was pe
rformed on blood samples collected longitudinally from 31 children in Lamba
rene, Gabon. The polymorphic regions of the merozoite surface antigens 1 an
d 2 were used as genetic markers. The data show that children in this area
are exposed to many different P. falciparum strains. In a few cases, the sa
me parasite genotypic pattern was observed in samples from two consecutive
clinical attacks indicating probable recrudescences after therapy. In six c
ases the first successive infections with a particular merozoite surface an
tigen (MSA)-2 strain (3D7) were followed by infections with the other MSA-2
genotype (FC27). In all other cases the genetic characteristics of the par
asite were different from one infection to the next, indicating that reinfe
ction was caused by a new parasite strain.