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Malaria, a global health problem especially in the sub-Sahara region has been posing a recurrent problem due to the resistance of the parasites to the available antimalarial drugs despite the preventive measures provided by WHO.Aims:This study is aimed at determining the prevalence of resistance markers in four Niger Delta states of Nigeria, a decade after withdrawal of chloroquine.Methods:Eight hundred and forty six (846) subjects participated in the study and were distributed as follows, 192(22.7%) Bayelsa; 218(25.8%) Rivers; 196(23.2%) Edo and 240(28.4%) Delta respectively. Malaria parasite identification was carried out using standard parasitological techniques. Genotyping of the resistance markers Pfcrt K76T and Pfmdr 1 was carried out by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).Results:Our findings revealed that the prevalence of malaria infection in the four Niger Delta states were 78.1%, 68.8%, 62.8% and 58.8% in Bayelsa, Rivers States, Edo and Delta respectively. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence of malaria within the four Niger Delta states. (P>0.05). Children below the age of 5 years recorded the highest infection rates when compared to subjects in other age groups (P< 0.01). Our findings also revealed that the distribution of mutant Pfcrt K76T and Pfmdr 1 genes across the four states were 12.0% and 28.6%, 4.0% and 22.0%, 14.6% and 29.3%, 10.6% and 25.0% in Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo and Delta state respectively. However, the prevalence of Pfcrt K76T in Rivers State was statistically lower when compared to other states (P < 0.01) while no statistical difference existed in the distribution of Pfmdr 1 mutant genes (P>0.01).Conclusion:Prevalenceof Pfcrt and Pfmdr 1 remained elevated in the Niger Delta states despite the withdrawal of chloroquine over a decade ago. Hence, Nigeria is far from an eventual re-introduction of chloroquine as its resistance markers still persist in our communities. Furthermore, the root cause of the persistence of these resistance markers needs to be investigated
RESUMO
Identifying the dissemination patterns and impacts of a virus of economic or health importance during a pandemic is crucial, as it informs the public on policies for containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we integrated genomic and travel data to investigate the emergence and spread of the B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 variants of interest in Nigeria and the wider Africa region. By integrating travel data and phylogeographic reconstructions, we find that these two variants that arose during the second wave emerged from within Africa, with the B.1.525 from Nigeria, and then spread to other parts of the world. Our results show how regional connectivity in downsampled regions like Africa can often influence virus transmissions between neighbouring countries. Our findings demonstrate the power of genomic analysis when combined with mobility and epidemiological data to identify the drivers of transmission in the region, generating actionable information for public health decision makers in the region.
RESUMO
Investment in Africa over the past year with regards to SARS-CoV-2 genotyping has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, exceeding 100,000 genomes generated to track the pandemic on the continent. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries able to sequence within their own borders, coupled with a decrease in sequencing turnaround time. Findings from this genomic surveillance underscores the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic but we observe repeated dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 variants within the continent. Sustained investment for genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve, particularly in the low vaccination landscape. These investments are very crucial for preparedness and response for future pathogen outbreaks. One-Sentence SummaryExpanding Africa SARS-CoV-2 sequencing capacity in a fast evolving pandemic.