Population Biology and epidemiology of two newly recognised human malaria species

Objectives

The objectives of this study are to:

1. Investigate the prevalence of P. ovale C  and P. ovale W  in single-species and mixed-species infections in 4 countries (and their immediate neighbors): Mali, Thailand, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Uganda, with reference to seasonality, and abundance of other Plasmodium sp.
2. Investigate possible barriers to inter-species mating and recombination between the two species, including gametocyte sex ratios and expression of incompatible gamete antigens, and host factors such as human blood group restriction on parasite invasion of reticulocytes / erythrocytes.
3. Explore homologuous functions in other human malaria species, as a route to discovery of potential new interventions against all malaria species (for any barrier mechanisms  elucidated)
4. Identify polymorphic markers within both genomes for studies of within-species population genetic structure in each study site identified as having sufficient numbers of infected people; in particular to test the hypothesis that both species have a largely clonal population structure.
5. Investigate the impact of ACT on P. ovale C  and P. ovale W  through long-term follow-up of participants in ACT studies currently being run or planned by Project partners and collaborators in Mali, Nigeria, Uganda, Guinea Conakry and Burkina Faso.