{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,10]],"date-time":"2026-10-10T16:02:38Z","timestamp":1791648158655,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,27]],"date-time":"2025-10-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761523200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100011880","name":"Belgian university cooperation agency, Acad\u00e9mie de Recherche et de l\u2019Enseignement Sup\u00e9rieur","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PRD2020-Cameroun"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PRD2020-Cameroun"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100011880","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100011880","name":"Belgian university cooperation agency, Acad\u00e9mie de Recherche et de l\u2019Enseignement Sup\u00e9rieur","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PFS2020-Rwanda"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PFS2020-Rwanda"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100011880","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Rwanda Malaria Research Lab at King Faisal Hospital Rwanda (KFHR) in Kigali"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) remain the cornerstone of malaria treatment in Rwanda, but the emergence of drug resistance threatens their efficacy. This study conducted genomic surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected in Kigali between October 2021 and June 2023 to assess resistance markers. Using Oxford Nanopore Technology and Sanger sequencing methods, we analyzed 250 clinical isolates focusing on mutations in the pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfdhfr, pfdhps, and Pfkelch13 genes. Resistance-associated mutations were highly prevalent: pfcrt 76T (26%) and pfmdr1 184F (72.8%) were common, indicating continued lumefantrine pressure. All isolates carried mutations in pfdhfr and pfdhps, with the IRNI-SAEAA and IRNI-SAEGA haplotypes found in 45.6% and 24.8% of samples, respectively, suggesting sustained antifolate resistance. Pfkelch13 mutations were present in 50.4% of isolates, including validated R561H (25.6%), A675V and candidate P441L mutations. Novel haplotypes, including K189T + R561H (24.8%), were identified for the first time in Rwanda. The BTB\/POZ domain mutation H384R was observed in 6.4% of isolates, raising questions about its potential functional role. These findings highlight complex and evolving resistance patterns and emphasize the urgent need for continued molecular surveillance and functional validation to inform malaria control strategies in Rwanda.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14111092","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,27]],"date-time":"2025-10-27T07:31:58Z","timestamp":1761550318000},"page":"1092","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Genomic Surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum Drug Resistance Markers Between October 2021 and June 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Sandra Noukimi","family":"Fankem","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Embryology and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6324-6898","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean-Bosco","family":"Mbonimpa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rwanda Malaria Research Laboratory, King Faisal Hospital Rwanda, Kigali P.O. Box 2534, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2057-280X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Edgar Mutebwa","family":"Kalimba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Embryology and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium"},{"name":"Rwanda Malaria Research Laboratory, King Faisal Hospital Rwanda, Kigali P.O. Box 2534, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariama Telly","family":"Diallo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Embryology and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-3837-8322","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mary Efeti","family":"Teke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1526-4431","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jacob","family":"Souopgui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Embryology and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium"},{"name":"Rwanda Malaria Research Laboratory, King Faisal Hospital Rwanda, Kigali P.O. Box 2534, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2025, March 18). World Malaria Report. 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