Genetic diversity, natural selection and haplotype grouping of Plasmodium vivax Duffy-binding protein genes from eastern and western Myanmar borders
Merozoite proteins of the malaria parasites involved in the invasion of red blood cells are selected by host immunity and their diversity is greatly influenced by changes in Myanmar malaria epidemiology. In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), malaria transmission is concentrated along the international borders and there have been major changes in malaria epidemiology with Plasmodium vivax becoming the dominant species in many regions. Here, we aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of P. vivax Duffy-binding protein gene domain II (pvdbp-II) in isolates from the eastern and western borders of Myanmar, and compared it with that from global P. vivax populations.