Genetic Diversity in Plasmodium Falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein 1 and 2 Coding Genes and Its Implications in Malaria Epidemiology: A Review of Published Studies from 1997-2007 (Report‪)‬

Introduction Plasmodium falciparum is the most virulent of the four parasites which cause malaria in humans. These malaria parasites are genetically diverse at all levels of endemicity. The inherent variability of P. falciparum is particularly prevalent in merozoite surface antigens being targeted for malaria vaccines. This provides multiple effective evasion and drug resistance mechanisms for the parasite. It also represents a major challenge for development of an effective malaria vaccine. Thus, the study of genetic diversity in malaria parasites is expected to provide new insights for the deployment of control measures.