Autor(es)

de Albuquerque, Nathalia Ramme M. ; Corder, Rodrigo M. ; Johansen, Igor C. ; Ladeia, Winni A. ; Rodrigues, Priscila T. ; Ladeia-Andrade, Simone ; Silva, Joana C. ; Ferreira, Marcelo U.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Journal of Infectious Diseases; v. N/A, p. 10-pg., 2025-09-17.

Resumo

Background Brazil's progress toward malaria elimination has stalled and 163 000 new cases (more than 80% caused by Plasmodium vivax) were recorded in the Brazilian Amazon in 2023. We hypothesize that human mobility continues to disperse parasites from hotspots to areas with decreasing endemicity.Methods We analyzed 5.5 million malaria case notifications between 2003 and 2023 to describe malaria case mobility and identify sources and sinks of P. vivax in the Brazilian Amazon. We leveraged whole-genome sequence data from 408 P. vivax isolates sampled from across South America to characterize parasite gene flow and infer likely regional routes of parasite dispersal.Results We found that nearly one-third of the P. vivax infections diagnosed in residents in the Brazilian Amazon over 21 years were acquired outside the locality or municipality of residence, but only 1.7% were imported from other countries in South America, mostly from the Guiana Shield. We show that large cities with residual malaria transmission-such as Manaus and Porto Velho-are receptive parasite sinks surrounded by high-risk source rural localities. Although the genetic relatedness of parasites tended to decrease with geographic distance, parasites from sites more than 1000 km apart often remained genetically connected.Conclusions Understanding parasite source-sink dynamics on different geographic scales is crucial to target high-risk mobile populations and source localities along with receptive sinks within low-transmission municipalities, with the goal of eliminating malaria transmission and preventing its reintroduction into malaria-free areas. Spatially targeted malaria control interventions may miss major source localities and high-risk mobile populations in the Amazon Basin of Brazil, where one-third of the P. vivax infections are reportedly acquired outside the locality or municipality of residence. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 23/15369-1 - Superdisseminadores e a malária residual no principal foco de transmissão urbana do Brasil
• Beneficiário: Winni Alves Ladeia
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 16/18740-9 - Bases científicas para a eliminação da malária residual na Amazônia Brasileira
• Beneficiário: Marcelo Urbano Ferreira
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 22/10056-2 - A conquista das Américas pelos parasitas da Malária: uma visão genômica populacional
• Beneficiário: Nathalia Rammé Medeiros de Albuquerque
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 23/12394-5 - Visão genômica das origens e adaptação das populações de Plasmodium nas Américas
• Beneficiário: Nathalia Rammé Medeiros de Albuquerque
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 22/11963-3 - Variação individual no risco de malária: causas e consequências em populações amazônicas
• Beneficiário: Marcelo Urbano Ferreira
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático