Digital PCR Reveals High <i>PvDBP</i> 1 but not <i>PvEBP/DBP</i> 2 and <i>PvRBP</i> 2b Copy Number in <i>Plasmodium vivax</i> From Duffy-Negative Individuals in Central Africa

Multicopy PvDBP1 across all study sites may imply significant parasite adaptability and improved parasite invasion, potentially influencing parasitemia. This was confirmed by the significantly higher parasitemia observed in samples with Cambodian type and those with both duplication types compared to ones with no duplication. Furthermore, our data showed CNV analysis by qPCR may not be as precise as dPCR, particularly for low-parasitemia DN P. vivax samples. Predominantly low PvEBP/DBP2 and PvRBP2b CNV raises questions to their role in parasite adaptation to invading DN erythrocytes.