Was malaria present in the Amazon before the European conquest? Available evidence and future research agenda

Castro, Márcia C.; Singer, Burton H.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2004.10.004

Cited by 26 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The origins of the malaria parasites found in the Americas have been the focus of renewed interest (de Castro and Singer 2005; Gerszten et al 2012; Yalcindag et al 2012). However, while Plasmodium falciparum is believed to have been introduced to the Americas, at least in part, through the trans-Atlantic slave trade (Yalcindag et al 2012), an African origin for the American populations of P. vivax is all but ruled out by the rarity of P. vivax in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the Duffy antigen null allele protects much of the population from this infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Evolutionary History of Plasmodium vivax as Inferred from Mitochondrial Genomes: Parasite Genetic Diversity in the Americas

Taylor¹,

Pacheco²,

Bacon³

et al. 2013

Molecular Biology and Evolution

105

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Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent human malaria parasite in the Americas. Previous studies have contrasted the genetic diversity of parasite populations in the Americas with those in Asia and Oceania, concluding that New World populations exhibit low genetic diversity consistent with a recent introduction. Here we used an expanded sample of complete mitochondrial genome sequences to investigate the diversity of P. vivax in the Americas as well as in other continental populations. We show that the diversity of P. vivax in the Americas is comparable to that in Asia and Oceania, and we identify several divergent clades circulating in South America that may have resulted from independent introductions. In particular, we show that several haplotypes sampled in Venezuela and northeastern Brazil belong to a clade that diverged from the other P. vivax lineages at least 30,000 years ago, albeit not necessarily in the Americas. We propose that, unlike in Asia where human migration increases local genetic diversity, the combined effects of the geographical structure and the low incidence of vivax malaria in the Americas has resulted in patterns of low local but high regional genetic diversity. This could explain previous views that P. vivax in the Americas has low genetic diversity because these were based on studies carried out in limited areas. Further elucidation of the complex geographical pattern of P. vivax variation will be important both for diversity assessments of genes encoding candidate vaccine antigens and in the formulation of control and surveillance measures aimed at malaria elimination.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Evolutionary History of Plasmodium vivax as Inferred from Mitochondrial Genomes: Parasite Genetic Diversity in the Americas

Taylor¹,

Pacheco²,

Bacon³

et al. 2013

Molecular Biology and Evolution

105

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“…The origin of P. vivax in South America is unclear. Malaria was likely brought to the Amazon by European conquerors 1492 onwards and continuing slave trade [38]; however an earlier independent introduction from Melanesia to the Pacific coast cannot be ruled out. The current substructure might be a consequence of independent introductions, especially since P. vivax in the Americas has never reached a prevalence as high as in PNG, and it was close to elimination a few decades ago.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Large Plasmodium vivax Reservoir and Little Population Structure in the South Pacific

et al. 2013

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IntroductionThe importance of Plasmodium vivax in malaria elimination is increasingly being recognized, yet little is known about its population size and population genetic structure in the South Pacific, an area that is the focus of intensified malaria control.MethodsWe have genotyped 13 microsatellite markers in 295 P. vivax isolates from four geographically distinct sites in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and one site from Solomon Islands, representing different transmission intensities.ResultsDiversity was very high with expected heterozygosity values ranging from 0.62 to 0.98 for the different markers. Effective population size was high (12′872 to 19′533 per site). In PNG population structuring was limited with moderate levels of genetic differentiation. F ST values (adjusted for high diversity of markers) were 0.14–0.15. Slightly higher levels were observed between PNG populations and Solomon Islands (F ST = 0.16).ConclusionsLow levels of population structure despite geographical barriers to transmission are in sharp contrast to results from regions of low P. vivax endemicity. Prior to intensification of malaria control programs in the study area, parasite diversity and effective population size remained high.

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“…Historical and epidemiological data suggest Plasmodium species spread in the New World after the European conquest ( De Castro & Singer, 2005 ), and malaria became mesoendemic in the Peruvian Amazon lowlands at the beginning of the 17th century. Moreover, malaria vector distribution in Peru is strictly limited by altitude and Quechua populations living in the highlands (>2500 m above sea level) thus are not exposed to this pathogen.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High prevalence of chitotriosidase deficiency in Peruvian Amerindians exposed to chitin-bearing food and enteroparasites

Manno

Sherratt

Boaretto

et al. 2014

Carbohydrate Polymers

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Was malaria present in the Amazon before the European conquest? Available evidence and future research agenda

Cited by 26 publications

References 9 publications

The Evolutionary History of Plasmodium vivax as Inferred from Mitochondrial Genomes: Parasite Genetic Diversity in the Americas

The Evolutionary History of Plasmodium vivax as Inferred from Mitochondrial Genomes: Parasite Genetic Diversity in the Americas

A Large Plasmodium vivax Reservoir and Little Population Structure in the South Pacific

High prevalence of chitotriosidase deficiency in Peruvian Amerindians exposed to chitin-bearing food and enteroparasites

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