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1062 Understanding malaria parasite populations and outbreaks in Papua New Guinea

Location: Papua New Guinea (PG).

Parasite

Partner study description

Microsatellite analysis has previously demonstrated that Plasmodium falciparum populations on the north coast of PNG are organised into distinct subpopulations. If this pattern is observed throughout PNG, maps of population structure may guide malaria control programmes by identifying isolated populations and major routes of transmission. Moreover, the data will provide a framework upon which the origins of imported infections and outbreaks in non-endemic areas can be determined. In this first stage of a much larger study, we have two main objectives: (i) to investigate the population genomics of Plasmodium falciparum in PNG and (ii) to develop SNP markers for defining the population structure of P. falciparum in PNG on a fine scale. Where samples were found to contain Plasmodium vivax data, for example due to mixed infection, this data was contributed to the P. vivax Genome Variation project.

Publications