{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T05:00:00Z","timestamp":1790312400156,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790294400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Resistance to Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) threatens the backbone of Ghana\u2019s success in Malaria control. In addition, malaria remains prevalent in the Central Region, raising concerns about the potential emergence of drug resistance. Mutations in the\n                      <jats:italic>PfKelch13<\/jats:italic>\n                      gene associated with reduced susceptibility have been reported across Africa and in some parts of Ghana, highlighting the need for molecular surveillance in these endemic settings.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Dried blood spots were prepared from whole blood, and genomic DNA was amplified using established\n                      <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2013specific primers. Selective whole-genome amplification enriched\n                      <jats:italic>Plasmodium falciparum<\/jats:italic>\n                      DNA, and libraries were sequenced using high-throughput Illumina HiSeq 2500 technology.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      358 samples were successfully sequenced.\n                      <jats:italic>PfKelch13<\/jats:italic>\n                      wild-type (WT) allele remained predominant, ranging from 42% to 100%, but the burden and diversity of mutant alleles differed substantially by location. SNPs observed were 127 single mutations, 42 double mutations, 2 Triple mutations, and 1 Quadruple mutation. Neither the ecological zone nor the season was significantly associated with the occurrence of mutant haplotypes; however, the district of origin emerged as statistically significant.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The study demonstrates the presence of\n                      <jats:italic>PfKelch13<\/jats:italic>\n                      mutations in\n                      <jats:italic>Plasmodium falciparum<\/jats:italic>\n                      in the Central Region of Ghana, with substantial genetic diversity but low frequencies of validated resistance markers. The spatial and seasonal heterogeneity observed across transmission settings suggests that factors operating at finer geographical and temporal scales may be important determinants of genetic variation, highlighting limitations of broad ecological classifications. These findings underscore the need for continuous, fine-scale molecular surveillance and therapeutic efficacy studies to detect and mitigate emerging artemisinin resistance proactively.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2026.1846022","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T04:27:13Z","timestamp":1790310433000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Assessing the threat of artemisinin resistance: seasonal and ecological patterns of PfKelch13 mutation distribution in malaria-endemic communities in Ghana"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Mavis Puopelle","family":"Dakorah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Health Science, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Enoch","family":"Aninagyei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences","place":["Ho, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Godwin","family":"Adzakpah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Information Management, School of Allied Health Science, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Juliana","family":"Attoh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Science, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Isaac","family":"Tukwarlba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Science, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Desmond Omane","family":"Acheampong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Science, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-021-10290-1","article-title":"Malaria parasitaemia and mRDT diagnostic performances among symptomatic individuals in selected health care facilities across Ghana","volume":"21","author":"Abuaku","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"B27","article-title":"A planners\u2019 Guide to integrated coastal management in the central region of Ghana","volume-title":"The USAID\/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP) Narragansett, RI Coastal Resources Centre, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island","author":"Adams","year":"2017"},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-018-3350-z","article-title":"Seasonal variations in Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity and multiplicity of infection in asymptomatic children living in southern Ghana","volume":"18","author":"Adjah","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Infect. 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