Determining the geographical origin of Plasmodium vivax using five microsatellite markers, instead of twelve markers: a more cost effective tool

Abstract

Malaria transmission in Sri Lanka remains low and unstable with a plan in place for its elimination within the next 5 years. Recent epidemiology of malaria in Sri Lanka consists of infections imported from other endemic countries and locally acquired sporadic cases with focal spread among non-immune residents. Identifying the source of infection is vital for the implementation of vigorous and targeted control strategies enabling successful elimination. Twelve previously validated microsatellite markers have proved to be useful in revealing the geographic origin and population structure of P. vivax parasites, which is a costly method to adopt. Aim of this study was to determine the minimum number of markers required to achieve the same outcome