Effect of mass dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine administration in southern Mozambique on the carriage of molecular markers of antimalarial resistance

PLoS One. 2020 Oct 19;15(10):e0240174. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240174. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Background: Mass drug administration (MDA) can rapidly reduce the burden of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf). However, concerns remain about its contribution to select for antimalarial drug resistance.

Methods: We used Sanger sequencing and real-time PCR to determine the proportion of molecular markers associated with antimalarial resistance (k13, pfpm2, pfmdr1 and pfcrt) in Pf isolates collected before (n = 99) and after (n = 112) the implementation of two monthly MDA rounds with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAp) for two consecutive years in Magude district of Southern Mozambique.

Results: None of the k13 polymorphisms associated with artemisinin resistance were observed in the Pf isolates analyzed. The proportion of Pf isolates with multiple copies of pfpm2, an amplification associated with piperaquine resistance, was similar in pre- (4.9%) and post-MDA groups (3.4%; p = 1.000). No statistically significant differences were observed between pre- and post-MDA groups in the proportion of Pf isolates neither with mutations in pfcrt and pfmdr1 genes, nor with the carriage of pfmdr1 multiple copies (p>0.05).

Conclusions: This study does not show any evidence of increased frequency of molecular makers of antimalarial resistance after MDA with DHAp in southern Mozambique where markers of antimalarial resistance were absent or low at the beginning of the intervention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antimalarials / administration & dosage
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use
  • Artemisinins / administration & dosage
  • Artemisinins / pharmacology*
  • Artemisinins / therapeutic use
  • Drug Combinations
  • Drug Resistance / genetics*
  • Malaria / parasitology*
  • Malaria / prevention & control
  • Mozambique
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics
  • Plasmodium falciparum / pathogenicity
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism
  • Quinolines / administration & dosage
  • Quinolines / pharmacology*
  • Quinolines / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Artemisinins
  • Drug Combinations
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Quinolines
  • artenimol
  • piperaquine