Spatiotemporal analysis of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte binding antigen-175 gene dimorphism in Ghana

Malaria continues to be a major global health burden, causing more than 600,000 deaths annually, with over 90% occurring in sub-Saharan Africa predominantly among children under five due to Plasmodium falciparum. During the asexual blood stage, merozoites invade erythrocytes through ligand-receptor interactions, a process critical to parasite survival and disease progression. Erythrocyte Binding Antigen-175 (EBA-175) is a key parasite ligand mediating this invasion by binding to glycophorin A (GpA) receptors on the erythrocyte surface. The gene exhibits allelic dimorphism, occurring in two forms (F and C) that have been associated with differing virulence profiles. Despite this, data on the prevalence and epidemiological distribution of EBA-175 alleles within the Ghanaian malaria parasite population remain limited, underscoring the need for this study.

In this study parasite genomic DNA was extracted from archived dried blood spots collected from 700 confirmed malaria-infected individuals. Samples were analysed for P. falciparum EBA-175 allelic dimorphism via nested PCR targeting the eba-175 gene, followed by allele scoring (F, C, and F/C) using agarose gel electrophoresis.

Basic Science
Genetics and Genomics

Ghana

Integration of malaria parasite & vector surveillance in Ghana (WACCBIP)