A PCR-RFLP Technique to Assess the Geographic Origin of Strains in Central America.

The elimination of malaria requires strengthening diagnosis and offering adequate and timely treatment. Imported cases of falciparum malaria represent a major challenge for pre-elimination areas, such as Central America, where chloroquine and primaquine continue to be used as first-line treatment. The gene has been previously described as a precise molecular marker to track the geographic origin of the parasite. The aim of this study was to design a simple and low-cost technique using the polymorphic region of to assess the geographic origin of strains. A PCR-RFLP technique was developed and evaluated using the enzyme that proved capable of discriminating, with reasonable precision, the geographical origin of the parasites. This method could be used by national surveillance laboratories and malaria elimination programs in countries such as Honduras and Nicaragua in cases of malaria where an origin outside the Central American isthmus is suspected.