A Unique Plasmodium falciparum K13 Gene Mutation in Northwest Ethiopia

Abebe Genetu Bayih Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita, Ethiopia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Gebeyaw Getnet Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita, Ethiopia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Abebe Alemu Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita, Ethiopia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Sisay Getie Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita, Ethiopia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Abu Naser Mohon Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita, Ethiopia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Dylan R. Pillai Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita, Ethiopia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) is the first line to treat uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria worldwide. Artemisinin treatment failures are on the rise in southeast Asia. Delayed parasite clearance after ACT is associated with mutations of the P. falciparum kelch 13 gene. Patients (N = 148) in five districts of northwest Ethiopia were enrolled in a 28-day ACT trial. We identified a unique kelch 13 mutation (R622I) in 3/125 (2.4%) samples. The three isolates with R622I were from Negade-Bahir and Aykel districts close to the Ethiopia–Sudan border. One of three patients with the mutant strain was parasitemic at day 3; however, all patients cleared parasites by day 28. Correlation between kelch 13 mutations and parasite clearance was not possible due to the low frequency of mutations in this study.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Dylan R. Pillai, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, 9-3535 Research Road NW, Room 1W-416, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2L 2K8. E-mail: drpillai@ucalgary.ca

Financial support: Funding for this study was provided in part by Calgary Laboratory Services and Department of Medicine, University of Calgary.

Authors' addresses: Abebe Genetu Bayih and Abu Naser Mohon, Department of Pathology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, E-mails: abebegenetu@gmail.com and manmohon@ucalgary.ca. Gebeyaw Getnet, Abebe Alemu, and Sisay Getie, Department of Medical Parasitology, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia, E-mails: ggebeyaw@yahoo.com, yanbule@gmail.com, and sisaygetie@yahoo.com. Dylan R. Pillai, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, E-mail: drpillai@ucalgary.ca.

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