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Malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum is a potentially life-threatening illness and is endemic in many areas of the world. Artemisinin has been the drug of choice for this infection, but resistance is a concern. Recent studies have identified drug resistance conferred by specific genetic mutations — so-called K13-propeller mutations — among strains commonly isolated in Southeast Asia and China. To help define the extent of K13 propeller mutations in P. falciparum clinical isolates, investigators evaluated more than 14,000 blood samples collected from infected patients in 59 countries. The investigators obtained sequence polymorphisms from 94% of these samples.
In 99% of the samples, a single K13 allele was identified. Overall, 108 nonsynonymo…