Parasite genetic diversity reflects continued residual malaria transmission in Vhembe District, a hotspot in the Limpopo Province of South Africa

Gwarinda, Hazel B.; Tessema, Sofonias K.; Raman, Jaishree; Greenhouse, Bryan; Birkholtz, Lyn-Marié

doi:10.1186/s12936-021-03635-z

Cited by 17 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(73 reference statements)

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“…has been related to the ability of parasites to adapt adequately to their hosts through the selection of advantageous traits, such as antigenic variability that allows them to evade the immune response, as well as the emergence of mutations responsible for resistance to antimalarials [3][4][5][6][7]. Genetically diverse populations of Plasmodium are common in regions with high transmission patterns, such as sub-Saharan Africa and some Southeast Asian countries [8][9][10][11][12], but as the incidence of malaria declines, the parasite's genetic diversity is expected to decline as well [13,14]. Central America is considered a region of moderate to low malaria transmission, and studies on the genetic diversity of Plasmodium spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of a Recent Bottleneck in Plasmodium falciparum Populations on the Honduran–Nicaraguan Border

et al. 2021

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The countries of Central America and the island of Hispaniola have set the goal of eliminating malaria in less than a decade. Although efforts to reduce the malaria burden in the region have been successful, there has been an alarming increase in cases in the Nicaraguan Moskitia since 2014. The continuous decrease in cases between 2000 and 2014, followed by a rapid expansion from 2015 to the present, has generated a potential bottleneck effect in the populations of Plasmodium spp. Consequently, this study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of P. falciparum and the decrease in allelic richness in this population. The polymorphic regions of the pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 genes of patients with falciparum malaria from Honduras and Nicaragua were analyzed using nested PCR and sequencing. Most of the samples were classified into the K1 allelic subfamily of the pfmsp-1 gene and into the 3D7 subfamily of the pfmsp-2 gene. Despite the low genetic diversity found, more than half of the samples presented a polyclonal K1/RO33 haplotype. No sequence polymorphisms were found within each allelic subfamily. This study describes a notable decrease in the genetic diversity of P. falciparum in the Moskitia region after a bottleneck phenomenon. These results will be useful for future epidemiological investigations and the monitoring of malaria transmission in Central America.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of a Recent Bottleneck in Plasmodium falciparum Populations on the Honduran–Nicaraguan Border

et al. 2021

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“…There are three malaria endemic provinces, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga [ 9 ]. Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province has the highest malaria incidence and prevalence in the country [ 10 ]. The IRS coverage in the malaria-affected areas of Limpopo Province was between 85 and 90% over the period 2010 to 2014 [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The IRS coverage in the malaria-affected areas of Limpopo Province was between 85 and 90% over the period 2010 to 2014 [ 11 ]. Despite annual implementation of IRS, the Vhembe District remains heavily burdened with malaria [ 10 ], strongly suggesting that suitable supplementary or new control methods should be identified for deployment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vhembe District is in the far north of South Africa and borders with Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana [ 9 ]. Mozambique and Zimbabwe are high-transmission malaria-endemic countries, which contributes to the number of cases due to imported malaria [ 10 ], such cases setting up local foci for mosquito infection. Vhembe is one of the least developed districts in South Africa with the greatest proportion of rural inhabitants [ 12 ] and it is estimated that over half its population lives in poverty [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social acceptance of livestock-administered endectocides for malaria control in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Makhanthisa

Braack

Bornman

et al. 2022

Malar J

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Background Malaria continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa and conventional malaria control strategies, such as indoor residual spraying and insecticide-treated bed nets, have limited effectiveness for some malarial vectors. Consequently, the development of alternative or supplementary strategies is required. One potential strategy is the use of livestock-administered endectocides to control vector mosquitoes that feed outdoors on livestock. However, since this strategy requires support from local communities and livestock owners consenting for their animals to be treated, it can only be implemented if agreed to by affected communities. The aim of this study was to assess the social acceptance of the use of livestock-administered endectocides in the malaria endemic villages of Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa, where malaria incidence is high. Methods Questionnaires were administered to 103 livestock-owning households from four villages, namely, Gumbu, Malale, Manenzhe and Bale. The assessment included questions on the acceptability of the strategy, the type and number of livestock owned, distances between houses and kraals (overnight pens) as well as previous use and awareness of endectocides. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression. Results The types of livestock owned by the participants comprised, cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys, with the most dominant being goats (n = 1040) and cattle (n = 964). The majority of kraals were less than 10 m from homesteads. Most participants (72.5%) were already using chemicals to treat their livestock for parasites. All participants were amenable to the implementation of the strategy, and would give consent for their animals to be treated by endectocides. Conclusions The use of livestock-administered endectocides appears to be a feasible and acceptable approach for control of animal-feeding malaria vector species in the malaria endemic villages of Vhembe District. This is based on a high percentage of rural residents keeping suitable livestock close to their homes and expressing willingness to use endectocides for mosquito control.

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“…In Vhembe District in Limpopo, SA, there is a dearth of documentation and exploration of IK's use for indigenous forecasting (Kom et al, 2022). Indigenous forecasting is crucial in farming practices and addressing climate change and infectious disease challenges in Vhembe (Dalu et al, 2022;Gwarinda et al, 2021;Louis et al, 2020). Vhembe district faces frequent natural disasters, including floods.…”

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confidence: 99%

Investigating the adoption of indigenous knowledge in mitigating climate-linked challenges

Phoobane,

Masinde

2023

IJRBS

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Indigenous knowledge (IK) plays a crucial role in rural African communities by contributing to the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies, enhancing resilience to climate-related challenges. However, there is limited documentation of its application in South Africa. This study investigates the adoption of IK in the Vhembe district, focusing on general use, disease prediction and farming practices. Results indicate that the respondents possessed a rich reservoir of IK, with 76.1% affirming its use for different purposes. Most respondents (75.3%) use IK for farming, with 63.1% using it for disease prediction. Most participants (74.3%) reported adequate confidence levels in their use of IK for general purposes. Respondents who had stayed longer in Vhembe reported higher confidence levels in using IK, as did those above 66 years old in using this knowledge system for disease prediction. The use of IK indicators for early warning of malaria outbreaks was also documented. Investigating and documenting IK use in communities could inform the basis for preservation and hence, enhance IK recognition. The integration of IK in the development of early warning systems may enhance their relevance and effectiveness in combating the effects of climate change and infectious diseases.

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Parasite genetic diversity reflects continued residual malaria transmission in Vhembe District, a hotspot in the Limpopo Province of South Africa

Cited by 17 publications

References 44 publications

Evidence of a Recent Bottleneck in Plasmodium falciparum Populations on the Honduran–Nicaraguan Border

Evidence of a Recent Bottleneck in Plasmodium falciparum Populations on the Honduran–Nicaraguan Border

Social acceptance of livestock-administered endectocides for malaria control in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Investigating the adoption of indigenous knowledge in mitigating climate-linked challenges

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