Deletions of the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 genes are common in field isolates from north-eastern Tanzania.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Kaaya, Robert D.; Kavishe, Reginald A.; Tenu, Filemon F.; Matowo, Johnson J.; Mosha, Franklin W.; Drakeley, Chris; Sutherland, Colin J.; Beshir, Khalid B.
- Source
- Scientific Reports. 4/6/2022, Vol. 12 Issue 1, p1-8. 8p.
- Subject
- *PLASMODIUM falciparum
*HEALTH facilities
*MALARIA
*MALARIA prevention
*GENES
*PROTEINS
- Language
- ISSN
- 2045-2322
Plasmodium falciparum parasites lacking histidine-rich protein 2 and 3 (pfhrp2/3) genes have been reported in several parts of the world. These deletions are known to compromise the effectiveness of HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (HRP2-RDT). The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) in Tanzania adopted HRP2-RDTs as a routine tool for malaria diagnosis in 2009 replacing microscopy in many Health facilities. We investigated pfhrp2/3 deletions in 122 samples from two areas with diverse malaria transmission intensities in Northeastern Tanzania. Pfhrp2 deletion was confirmed in 1.6% of samples while pfhrp3 deletion was confirmed in 50% of samples. We did not find parasites with both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions among our samples. Results from this study highlight the need for systematic surveillance of pfhrp2/3 deletions in Tanzania to understand their prevalence and determine their impact on the performance of mRDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]