Mitochondrial genomes of Plasmodium vivax and geographic origin of imported malaria.

Author(s)

Priscila Thihara Rodrigues

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI)
• Defense date: 2012-11-30

Examining board members

Marcelo Urbano Ferreira; Paulo Eduardo Martins Ribolla; Gerhard Wunderlich

• Advisor: Marcelo Urbano Ferreira

Abstract

Cases of imported malaria, infection acquired in an endemic region, but diagnosed in a non-endemic country, are rare but can lead to a fatal outcome. Our objectives were investigate whether the analysis of mitochondrial genomes allows inferring the geographic origin of isolates of P. vivax derived from cases of imported malaria diagnosed in the USA, and compare the performance of mitochondrial genome and DNA microsatellite analysis. We sequenced full mitochondrial genomes from 63 P. vivax isolates collected at the USA from imported infections, and 7 samples from Brazil and 6 Panama. A network of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes was built with 412 genomic sequences and were able to classify accurately isolates from South America, Korea, Southeast Asia and Melanesia according to their presumed geographic origin, but failed to do so with samples from South Asia, Central America and Africa. The Bayesian analysis performed by typing microsatellite markers showed no success on the classification of geographical isolates of P. vivax. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/03318-3 - Mitochondrial genomes of Plasmodium vivax and the geographic origin of imported malaria
• Grantee: Priscila Thihara Rodrigues
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master