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A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada examined the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich proteins 2/3 (HRP2/3) deletions and kelch13 (k13) mutations in Ethiopia. The study found that approximately 22% of the study population in Ethiopia had complete HRP2/3 deletions, and 32 out of 44 k13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with partial resistance to artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). The researchers concluded that ongoing national surveillance and accurate laboratory methods are necessary to understand the genetic diversity of P. falciparum and address the threat posed by parasite gene variants. This research has been peer-reviewed and published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. [Extracted from the article]

A study conducted by researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, examined the prevalence and characteristics of Plasmodium vivax gametocytes in Duffy-positive and Duffy-negative populations across Ethiopia. The study found that P. vivax gametocytes were present in both Duffy-positive and Duffy-negative individuals, suggesting the potential for human-to-mosquito transmission. The research highlights the need for a better understanding of P. vivax transmission biology and gametocyte function, particularly in Duffy-negative populations, in order to improve the treatment and management of P. vivax malaria in Africa. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. [Extracted from the article]