title: Using mitochondrial genome sequences to track the origin of imported Plasmodium vivax infections diagnosed in the United States.
abstract: Although the geographic origin of malaria cases imported into the United States can often be inferred from travel histories, these histories may be lacking or incomplete. We hypothesized that mitochondrial haplotypes could provide region-specific molecular barcodes for tracing the origin of imported Plasmodium vivax infections. An analysis of 348 mitochondrial genomes from worldwide parasites and new sequences from 69 imported malaria cases diagnosed across the United States allowed for a geographic assignment of most infections originating from the Americas, southeast Asia, east Asia, and Melanesia. However, mitochondrial lineages from Africa, south Asia, central Asia, and the Middle East, which altogether contribute the vast majority of imported malaria cases in the United States, were closely related to each other and could not be reliably assigned to their geographic origins. More mitochondrial genomes are required to characterize molecular barcodes of P. vivax from these regions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health, Panama City, Panama; Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Priscila T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health, Panama City, Panama; Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: João Marcelo P
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health, Panama City, Panama; Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Santamaria
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health, Panama City, Panama; Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Calzada
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health, Panama City, Panama; Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Maniphet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xayavong
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health, Panama City, Panama; Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parise
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health, Panama City, Panama; Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Alexandre J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health, Panama City, Panama; Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia muferrei@usp.br.
authors.forename: Marcelo U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D018503:Genome, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D014195:Travel; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology