An Evolution From a Predominant K1 Allelic Variant to MAD20 of msp1 Gene Between 2015 to 2019 in Metehara, Southeast Ethiopia

Abstract Background: The complexity and quantity of parasite populations circulating in a specific location are reflected in the genetic diversity of malaria parasites (s). Between 2015 and 2019, this study in Metehara, South east, Ethiopia. set out to investigate the temporal dynamics of genetic diversity and multiplicity as a result of evolutionary change in the genes that contribute to Plasmodium falciparum infection elimination. Method: Between 2015 and 2019, a cross-sectional study was carried out. from eighty-three dry blood spots from malaria patients who were screened for P. falciparum mono-infection by QPCR. From this seventy confirmed P. falciparum were genotyping to merozoite surface protein 1,2 and glutamate-rich protein using nested PCR.Result: Between 2015 and 2019, seventy (84.3%) of the isolates were successfully genotyped for all three target genes in both years. In 2015 and 2019, the allelic distributions of the three genes differed significantly (P= 0.001). Overall, the most common allelic families for msp1 and msp2 were K1 and FC27 respectively. For glurp, eight distinct genotypes were identified. In 2015, the genotyping of msp1, msp2 and glurp was 25 (86.2%), 25 (86.2%) and 24 (82.2%) respectively. K1, MAD20 and RO33 all have 19(65.5%), 3(10.3%) and 3(10.3%) msp1 allelic families respectively. In 2019 the genes were 30 (73.2%), 39 (95.1%) and 30 (73.2%). K1, MAD20, and RO33 were genotyped for 6 (14.6 percent), 18 (43.9 percent) and 6 (14.6 percent) genotyping respectively. Over all the multiplicity of infection was 1.67 (95 percent CI 1.54-1.74) and the heterozygosity index for msp1, msp2, and glurp was 0.48, 0.70, and 0.55 respectively.Conclusion: This study provides current information on the genetic diversity of P. falciparum populations in Metehara over five-year intervals, The progression of the dominant K1 variant from 2015 to MAD20 variant in 2019 was observed in this study.