Nature Microbiology (2018) Genomes of all known members of a Plasmodium subgenus reveal paths to virulent human malaria Abstract Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent agent of human malaria, shares a recent common ancestor with the gorilla parasite Plasmodium praefalciparum. Little is known about the other gorilla- and chimpanzee-infecting species in the same (Laverania) subgenus as […]
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, fuab047 (2021) A population genetic perspective on the origin, spread and adaptation of the human malaria agents Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax Abstract Malaria is considered one of the most important scourges that humanity has faced during its history, being responsible every year for numerous deaths worldwide. The disease is caused by […]
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES (2020) Human Plasmodium vivax diversity, population structure and evolutionary origin Plasmodium vivax Abstract More than 200 million malaria clinical cases are reported each year due to Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread Plasmodium species in the world. This species has been neglected and understudied for a long time, due to its lower […]
PLOS Pathogens (2020) The enigmatic mechanisms by which Plasmodium vivax infects Duffy-negative individuals Plasmodium vivax Abstract The absence of the Duffy protein at the surface of erythrocytes was considered for decadesto confer full protection against Plasmodium vivax as this blood group is the receptor for thekey parasite ligand P. vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP). However, […]
Infection, Genetics and Evolution Detection of novel astroviruses among rodents of Gabon, Central Africa Plasmodium vivax Abstract Astroviruses (AstVs) are mostly responsible for mild to severe gastroenteritis infections in humans and animals. AstVs infect a wide range of host species, have a large genetic diversity with different circulating variants and are thus a high zoonotic […]
PLOS Biology (2018) Plasmodium vivax-like genome sequences shed new insights into Plasmodium vivax biology and evolution Abstract Although Plasmodium vivax is responsible for the majority of malaria infections outside Africa, little is known about its evolution and pathway to humans. Its closest genetic relative, P. vivax-like, was discovered in African great apes and is hypothesized […]
Ecology and Evolution (2018) Extensive diversity of malaria parasites circulating in Central African bats and monkeys Abstract The order Haemosporidia gathers many protozoan parasites which are known to infect many host species and groups. Until recently, the studies on haemosporidian parasites primarily focused on the genus Plasmodium among a wide range of hosts. Genera, like […]
Science Advances. 7 : eabc3713 (2021) Population genomic evidence of Plasmodium vivax Southeast Asian origin Abstract Plasmodium vivax is the most common and widespread human malaria parasite. It was recently proposed that P. vivax originates from sub-Saharan Africa based on the circulation of its closest genetic relatives (P. vivax-like) among African great apes. However, the limited number of […]