Purpose: Plasmodium ovale is not usually the focus of most malaria research or intervention programmes and has lately been termed the neglected human malaria parasites. The parasite exists as two genetically distinct sympatric species namely P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri but information on the distribution of P. ovale sub-species is lacking in Nigeria. The objective of this study, therefore, was aimed at characterizing the P. ovale sub-species in isolates from symptomatic individuals in North-central Nigeria.
Methods: Parasites were identified by light microscopy of Giemsa stained thick and thin blood films. Molecular characterization and confirmation of P. ovale sub-species were done by species-specific nested PCR and sequencing of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSUrRNA) gene.
Results: A total of 412 children were enrolled into this study of which 88.6% (n = 365) were positive for Plasmodium species by nested PCR and P. falciparum was predominant. Of the 365 isolates, 4 (1.1%) had P. ovale infections and of these, 3 (0.8%) were mixed species infections of P. ovale with P. falciparum. DNA sequence analysis confirmed that all the four P. ovale parasites were P. ovale curtisi as their sequences were 99-100% identical to previously published P. ovale curtisi sequences in the GenBank and they cluster with the P. ovale curtisi sequences by phylogeny.
Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the occurrence of P. ovale curtisi in the study area. This has implications for public health and malaria elimination programmes, since they also serve as potential risk to travellers from malaria-free regions.
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