First Insight into Drug Resistance Genetic Markers, Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase and Phylogenetic Patterns of Misdiagnosed Plasmodium vivax Malaria in Far North Region, Cameroon.

ABSTRACT

Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) is the predominant malaria species in Africa, but growing rates of non-falciparum species such as P. vivax (Pv) have been reported recently. This study aimed at characterizing drug resistance genes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (G6PD), and phylogenetic patterns of a Pv + Pf co-infection misdiagnosed as a Pf mono-infection in the Far North region of Cameroon. Only one non-synonymous mutation in the pvdhps gene A383G was found. Pv drug resistance gene sequences were phylogenetically closer to the reference SAL-I strain and isolates from Southeast Asia and Western Pacific countries. Analyzing co-infecting Pf revealed no resistance mutations in Pfmdr1 and Pfk13 genes, but mutations in Pfcrt (C72V73I74E75T76) and Pfdhfr-Pfdhps genes (A16C50I51R59N108L164 - A436A437K540G581S613) were observed. No G6PD deficiency-related mutations were found. This is first study from Cameroon reporting presence of putative drug resistance mutations in Pv infections, especially in the pvdhps gene, and also outlined the absence of a G6PD-deficiency trait in patients.