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. 2025 Jun 4;69(6):e0175524.
doi: 10.1128/aac.01755-24. Epub 2025 Apr 23.

Plasmodium falciparum Kelch-13 artemisinin partial resistance markers in Fort Portal, Western Uganda, 2024

Welmoed van Loon  1 , Emma Schallenberg  1 , Emmanuel Mande  2 , Patrick Musinguzi  3 , Paul Ngobi  3 , Sharon Atukunda  3 , John Rubaihayo  4 , Frank P Mockenhaupt  1
Affiliations

Plasmodium falciparum Kelch-13 artemisinin partial resistance markers in Fort Portal, Western Uganda, 2024

Welmoed van Loon et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. .

Abstract

In Fort Portal, Uganda, artemisinin resistance-associated mutations in Plasmodium falciparum Kelch13 (n = 126) were present in 4.8% (675V, 561H, and 441L). A mutation of unknown relevance, 490T, occurred in 9.5%. PfMDR1 variants suggested increased lumefantrine tolerance (N86, 100%). Mutation 500N was absent, and 199S occurred in 12.8%. The latter is of unknown relevance. These data indicate an incipient emergence of artemisinin resistance in a crucial location between Rwandan and Ugandan resistance hotspots and hardly affected DR Congo.

Keywords: PfK13; PfMDR1; Uganda; artemisinin resistance; molecular markers of resistance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Occurrence of validated and associated PfK13 markers of artemisinin partial resistance in East Africa, 2020–2023, color-coded by majority markers. Colored circles indicate regions where validated or candidate PfK13 markers have been identified at prevalence >10% in 2020–2023. Yellow, majority of PfK13 mutations found are 675V and/or 469Y (2); purple, majority PfK13-561H (2, 10, 12, 13); blue, majority PfK13-441L (2); and brown, majority PfK13-469F (2). Background map created with mapchart.net.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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