Setting Up an NGS Sequencing Platform and Monitoring Molecular Markers of Anti-Malarial Drug Resistance in Djibouti
Nasserdine Papa Mze,
Houssein Yonis Arreh,
Rahma Abdi Moussa,
Mahdi Bachir Elmi,
Mohamed Ahmed Waiss,
Mohamed Migane Abdi,
Hassan Ibrahim Robleh,
Samatar Kayad Guelleh,
Abdoul-ilah Ahmed Abdi,
Hervé Bogreau,
Leonardo K. Basco,
Bouh Abdi Khaireh
Affiliations
Nasserdine Papa Mze
Service de Biologie, Unité de Microbiologie, Hôpital Mignot, Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, 177 rue de Versailles, 78150 Le Chesnay, France
Houssein Yonis Arreh
Unité de Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpital Général de Peltier, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Djibouti, Avenue Marechal, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Rahma Abdi Moussa
Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS), Ministère de la Santé, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Mahdi Bachir Elmi
Unité de Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpital Général de Peltier, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Djibouti, Avenue Marechal, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Mohamed Ahmed Waiss
Laboratoire du Service de Santé de la Gendarmerie Nationale, Avenue de Brazzaville, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Mohamed Migane Abdi
Unité de Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpital Général de Peltier, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Djibouti, Avenue Marechal, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Hassan Ibrahim Robleh
Unité de Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpital Général de Peltier, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Djibouti, Avenue Marechal, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Samatar Kayad Guelleh
Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme, Ministère de la Santé, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Abdoul-ilah Ahmed Abdi
Présidence de la République de Djibouti, Commune de Ras Dika, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Hervé Bogreau
Unité Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 13005 Marseille, France
Leonardo K. Basco
Aix Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Service de Santé des Armées (SSA), 13005 Marseille, France
Bouh Abdi Khaireh
Unité de Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpital Général de Peltier, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Djibouti, Avenue Marechal, Djibouti ville 98230, Djibouti
Djibouti is confronted with malaria resurgence, with malaria having been occurring in epidemic proportions since a decade ago. The current epidemiology of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is not well known. Molecular markers were analyzed by targeted sequencing in 79 P. falciparum clinical isolates collected in Djibouti city in 2023 using the Miseq Illumina platform newly installed in the country. The objective of the study was to analyze the key codons in these molecular markers associated with antimalarial drug resistance. The prevalence of the mutant Pfcrt CVIET haplotype (92%) associated with chloroquine resistance and mutant Pfdhps-Pfdhfr haplotypes (7.4% SGEA and 53.5% IRN, respectively) associated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance was high. By contrast, Pfmdr1 haplotypes associated with amodiaquine (YYY) or lumefantrine (NFD) resistance were not observed in any of the isolates. Although the “Asian-type” PfK13 mutations associated with artemisinin resistance were not observed, the “African-type” PfK13 substitution, R622I, was found in a single isolate (1.4%) for the first time in Djibouti. Our genotyping data suggest that most Djiboutian P. falciparum isolates are resistant to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine but are sensitive to amodiaquine, lumefantrine, and artemisinin. Nonetheless, the presence of an isolate with the R622I PfK13 substitution is a warning signal that calls for a regular surveillance of molecular markers of antimalarial drug resistance.
