Mapping the global distribution and spread of the Plasmodium vivax-associated virus MaRNAV-1
Petrone, M. E.; Charon, J.; Parry, R. H.; Grigg, M. J.; Piera, K. A.; Westaway, J. A.; Shioda, K.; Russell, B.; Price, R. N.; Williams, T.; Kenangalem, E.; McCarthy, J. S.; Barber, B. E.; Holmes, E. C.; Anstey, N. M.
Show abstract
Matryoshka RNA virus 1 is a bi-segmented and single-stranded RNA virus associated with Plasmodium vivax, a cause of human malaria. Little has been uncovered about the epidemiology and ecology of this virus since its discovery in 2019. To address this, we used a combination of primary and publicly available metatranscriptomic data to map the geographic distribution and host associations of MaRNAV-1. We detected this virus throughout Southeast Asia, in parts of South America, and, for the first time, in Oceania. Despite its broad distribution, MaRNAV-1 was found exclusively in metatranscriptomes containing P. vivax, suggesting that there is a specific virus-host relationship that has shaped the evolutionary history of this virus. We were unable to estimate the emergence date of the MaRNAV-1 lineage; however, phylogeographic mapping analysis suggested that MaRNAV-1 may have radiated from Southeast Asia. Our findings have both evolutionary and public health implications and can serve as the basis for future investigations in these fields.
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