Plasmodium ovale

P. ovale is considered as one of the minor parasites of the five human malaria species along with P. malariae because of low prevalence rates in most endemic areas and its relatively mild and chronic nature. Acute illnesses in nonimmunes can produce typical pyroxysms with chills, rigor and high fever. Infections resolve over a period of a couple of weeks and partial immunity is relatively quickly acquired. The parasite, like P. vivax, has a true relapse mechanism with liver stage hypnozoites that can produce blood infections through relapse up to five years after primary infection. Blood stage infections are chronic with low level parasitemia that are most frequently subpatent by microscopy and, thus, generally show low prevalence in endemic areas.

P. ovale is distributed most frequently throughout Sub-Saharan West Africa as well as in East Africa. P. ovale infections are also found in the Philippines, New Guinea, Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) and in the Indian subcontinent.

Data Downloads

[Genome Research Limited]

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Pathogen Genomics group is undertaking whole genome shotgun sequencing of a number of different species of Plasmodium. This will serve as a useful comparative genomics resource to complement the complete Plasmodium falciparum genome.

Published Genome Data

We are in the process of generating a whole genome shotgun to approximately 8X coverage, of the Nigeria I/CDC strain of P. ovale. The Nigeria I/CDC strain was isolated in 1977 from a Peace Corps worker who was stationed in Nigeria.

P. ovale has an estimated genome size of 25-27Mb, with 14 chromosomes in the size range of 0.6 Mb to 3.8 Mb.

This work is being done in collaboration with Dr John Barnwell (CDC, Atlanta).

Data Use Statement

This sequencing centre plans on publishing the completed and annotated sequences in a peer-reviewed journal as soon as possible. Permission of the principal investigator should be obtained before publishing analyses of the sequence/open reading frames/genes on a chromosome or genome scale. See our data sharing policy.

Sequencing enquiries

Please address all sequencing enquiries to: pathinfo@sanger.ac.uk

* quick link - http://q.sanger.ac.uk/bnilrekm