SynthesisMalaria journal2026
Plasmodium vivax infection in Duffy-negative populations in Sudan: a systematic review and meta-analysis of host-parasite genetic adaptation.
Synthesis in Malaria journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSudan is one of the few African countries reporting increasing Plasmodium vivax infections despite the high prevalence of the Duffy-negative phenotype, historically considered protective against this parasite. Emerging molecular evidence challenges this paradigm. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize evidence on the prevalence and geographic distribution of P. vivax infection, Duffy antigen polymorphisms, parasite genetic adaptations, and diagnostic limitations in Sudan.
methodsThis review followed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42025127714). The reports of P. vivax infection in Sudan focusing on host Duffy status and the parasite genetic variability from 2005 to 2025 were identified through systematic searches of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE with predefined Boolean search operators. To determine the risk of bias, the Joanna Briggs Institute prevalence study checklist was employed. To obtain a pooled prevalence estimate in Duffy-negative individuals, a random-effects meta-analysis (DerSimonian-Laird estimator) was conducted. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test and the I
resultsA total of sixteen studies conducted between 2005 and 2025, including 5,753 participants from various regions of Sudan, were included. P. vivax infection was reported in both Duffy-positive and Duffy-negative individuals. Meta-analysis of five studies reporting host Duffy antigen status showed a pooled prevalence of P. vivax infection of 11.7% (95% CI 7.2-17.3%) among Duffy-negative individuals. The studies showed moderate heterogeneity (I
conclusionsThis systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence that P. vivax infection occurs among Duffy-negative individuals in Sudan, challenging the long-standing assumption of complete Duffy-mediated protection. The observed parasite genetic diversity highlights adaptive mechanisms that may facilitate infection in Duffy-negative hosts. Strengthening molecular surveillance and integrating host-parasite genomic data into national malaria control programs will be critical to inform malaria elimination strategies and vaccine development in Africa.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.