title: Plasmodium vivax malaria in Mali: a study from three different regions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plasmodium vivax has traditionally been considered virtually absent from Western and Central Africa, due to the absence of the Duffy blood group in most of the population living in these areas. Recent reports, however, suggest the circulation of P. vivax in sub-Saharan Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Giemsa/Field-stained smears from febrile patients recruited in five different cities (Goundam, Tombouctou, Gao, Bourem and Kidal) pertaining to three regions from Northern Mali were examined. Nested-PCR and DNA sequence analyses of selected samples were performed to fully confirm the presence of P. vivax infections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results demonstrated the presence of P. vivax infections in close to 30% of the cases as detected by Giemsa/Field-stained smears and nested-PCR and DNA-sequence analyses of selected samples unequivocally confirmed the presence of P. vivax.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnostics of this human malaria parasite should be taken into account in the context of malaria control and elimination efforts, not only in Mali, but also in sub-Saharan Africa.
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernabeu
authors.forename: Gloria P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Gomez-Perez
authors.forename: Sibiri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sissoko
authors.forename: Mohamed B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Niambélé
authors.forename: Allassane Ag
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Haibala
authors.forename: Ariadna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: Mahamadou A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Théra
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Becerra
authors.forename: Klénon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Traoré
authors.forename: Pedro L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Quique
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Bassat
authors.forename: Hernando A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Del Portillo
authors.forename: Ogobara
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Doumbo
mesh_terms: D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D006801:Humans; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008302:Mali / Q000453:epidemiology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D016053:RNA, Protozoan