Malaria-causing protozoa of the genus Plasmodium have exerted one of the strongest selective pressures on the human genome, and resistance alleles provide biomolecular footprints that outline the historical reach of these species1. Nevertheless, debate persists over when and how malaria parasites emerged as human pathogens and spread around the globe1,2. To address these questions, we generated high-coverage ancient mitochondrial and nuclear genome-wide data from P. falciparum, P. vivax and P. malariae from 16 countries spanning around 5,500 years of human history. We identified P. vivax and P. falciparum across geographically disparate regions of Eurasia from as early as the fourth and first millennia BCE, respectively; for P. vivax, this evidence pre-dates textual references by several millennia3. Genomic analysis supports distinct disease histories for P. falciparum and P. vivax in the Americas: similarities between now-eliminated European and peri-contact South American strains indicate that European colonizers were the source of American P. vivax, whereas the trans-Atlantic slave trade probably introduced P. falciparum into the Americas. Our data underscore the role of cross-cultural contacts in the dissemination of malaria, laying the biomolecular foundation for future palaeo-epidemiological research into the impact of Plasmodium parasites on human history. Finally, our unexpected discovery of P. falciparum in the high-altitude Himalayas provides a rare case study in which individual mobility can be inferred from infection status, adding to our knowledge of cross-cultural connectivity in the region nearly three millennia ago.
- MeSH
- biologická evoluce MeSH
- dějiny starověku MeSH
- genom mitochondriální * genetika MeSH
- genom protozoální * genetika MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- malárie vivax epidemiologie dějiny parazitologie přenos MeSH
- malárie * parazitologie dějiny přenos epidemiologie MeSH
- nadmořská výška MeSH
- odolnost vůči nemocem genetika MeSH
- Plasmodium falciparum genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Plasmodium malariae genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Plasmodium vivax genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Plasmodium * genetika klasifikace MeSH
- starobylá DNA * analýza MeSH
- tropická malárie epidemiologie dějiny parazitologie přenos MeSH
- Check Tag
- dějiny starověku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- historické články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Amerika epidemiologie MeSH
- Asie epidemiologie MeSH
- Evropa epidemiologie MeSH
- Názvy látek
- starobylá DNA * MeSH
African great apes are susceptible to infections with several species of Plasmodium, including the predecessor of Plasmodium falciparum. Little is known about the ecology of these pathogens in gorillas. A total of 131 gorilla fecal samples were collected from Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas to study the diversity and prevalence of Plasmodium species. The effects of sex and age as factors influencing levels of infection with Plasmodium in habituated gorilla groups were assessed. Ninety-five human blood samples from the same locality were also analysed to test for cross-transmission between humans and gorillas. According to a cytB PCR assay 32% of gorilla's fecal samples and 43·1% human individuals were infected with Plasmodium spp. All Laverania species, Plasmodium vivax, and for the first time Plasmodium ovale were identified from gorilla samples. Plasmodium praefalciparum was present only from habituated individuals and P. falciparum was detected from human samples. Although few P. vivax and P. ovale sequences were obtained from gorillas, the evidence for cross-species transmission between humans and gorillas requires more in depth analysis. No association was found between malaria infection and sex, however, younger individuals aged ≤6 years were more susceptible. Switching between two different Plasmodium spp. was observed in three individuals. Prolonged monitoring of Plasmodium infection during various seasons and recording behavioural data is necessary to draw a precise picture about the infection dynamics.
- Klíčová slova
- Plasmodium spp, African great apes, lowland gorilla, malaria,
- MeSH
- cytochromy b genetika MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- feces parazitologie MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- Gorilla gorilla parazitologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- malárie vivax epidemiologie parazitologie přenos veterinární MeSH
- malárie epidemiologie parazitologie přenos veterinární MeSH
- nemoci lidoopů epidemiologie parazitologie přenos MeSH
- Plasmodium falciparum klasifikace genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Plasmodium ovale klasifikace genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Plasmodium vivax klasifikace genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
- tropická malárie epidemiologie parazitologie přenos veterinární MeSH
- zachování přírodních zdrojů MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Středoafrická republika epidemiologie MeSH
- Názvy látek
- cytochromy b MeSH
