title: Molecular epidemiology of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria among Duffy-positive and Duffy-negative populations in Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is the most prevalent communicable disease in Ethiopia, with 75% of the country's landmass classified as endemic for malaria. Accurate information on the distribution and clinical prevalence of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in endemic areas, as well as in Duffy-negative populations, is essential to develop integrated control strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 390 and 416 community and clinical samples, respectively, representing different localities and age groups across Ethiopia were examined. Malaria prevalence was estimated using nested PCR of the 18S rRNA region. Parasite gene copy number was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and compared between symptomatic and asymptomatic samples, as well as between children/adolescents and adults from the local community. An approximately 500-bp segment of the human DARC gene was amplified and sequenced to identify Duffy genotype at the -33rd nucleotide position for all the clinical and community samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasmodium vivax prevalence was higher in the south while P. falciparum was higher in the north. The prevalence of P. vivax and P. falciparum malaria is the highest in children compared to adolescents and adults. Four P. vivax infections were detected among the Duffy-negative samples. Samples from asymptomatic individuals show a significantly lower parasite gene copy number than those from symptomatic infections for P. vivax and P. falciparum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Geographical and age differences influence the distribution of P. vivax and P. falciparum malaria in Ethiopia. These findings offer evidence-based guidelines in targeting malaria control efforts in the country.
authors.affiliation: Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. eugenia.loyy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. delenasaw.yewhalaw@ju.edu.et.
authors.forename: Delenasaw
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yewhalaw
authors.affiliation: Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. dzhong@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Daibin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. endalew.zemene@ju.edu.et.
authors.forename: Endalew
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zemene
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. teshedege@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Teshome
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Degefa
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. kora.tushune@ju.edu.et.
authors.forename: Kora
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tushune
authors.affiliation: Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. margarh1@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. mingchil@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Ming-Chieh
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Departments of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. aajames@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. guiyuny@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Guiyun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C473745:ACKR1 protein, human; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface