title: Genetic structure and dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum infections in the Kilombero region of Tanzania.
abstract: Plasmodium falciparum parasites exist as genetically distinct haploid clones in infected people. In the Kilombero valley in south-east Tanzania, at least 85% of the inhabitants of Michenga village harbour more than one clone. Using 2 highly polymorphic unlinked markers, it has been estimated that each infected person harbours between one and 6 P. falciparum clones at any one time, with a mean of 3.5 clones. When mosquitoes acquire gametocytes of 2 different clones in a blood meal, crossing generates recombinant clones differing from their parental genotypes. The inbreeding coefficient of the parasite population has been estimated as 0.33.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. h.babiker@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Babiker
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ranford-Cartwright
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walliker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D002999:Clone Cells; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012098:Reproduction; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D005819:Genetic Markers; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C065974:merozoite surface protein 2, Plasmodium