Genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum field isolates from Honduras in the malaria elimination phase

Malaria continues to be a major threat to public health in tropical regions, primarily affecting sub-Saharan Africa but also Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Malaria cases in Honduras have seen a significant decline and the country aims to eliminate the disease by 2030. This study examines the genetic diversity of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> and <i>Plasmodium vivax</i> in Honduras using four molecular markers (<i>Pfama1</i>, <i>Pfglurp</i>, <i>Pvmsp3α</i>, and <i>Pvmsp3β</i>), and the chloroquine resistance marker <i>pfcrt</i> in the context of the elimination phase. Our findings indicate that <i>P. falciparum</i> populations in Honduras are more homogeneous compared to <i>P. vivax</i>. The multilocus sequence typing (MLST) approach, using four loci from <i>Pvmsp3α</i> and <i>Pvmsp3β</i>, proved more effective in assessing the genetic diversity of <i>P. vivax</i> than individual marker analyses. No geographical clustering was observed for <i>P. vivax</i> haplotypes, either within Honduras or globally. In Honduras, <i>P. falciparum</i> appears to be under more effective control, while <i>P. vivax</i> presents a greater challenge due to its higher genetic diversity. This requires enhanced surveillance, targeted control strategies, and measures to prevent the reintroduction of variants. The isolates of <i>P. falciparum</i> also displayed a wild-type <i>Pfcrt</i> phenotype, suggesting susceptibility to chloroquine.