Molecular Detection of Plasmodium falciparum Drug Resistance Markers in Children Under Five in Plateau State

Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains a primary cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five in Nigeria, and the emergence of drug resistance poses a major threat to treatment efficacy. This study examined the molecular markers of antimalarial drug resistance in P. falciparum isolates collected from febrile children attending primary healthcare centers in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. Blood samples were collected from 150 children diagnosed with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Parasite DNA was extracted from dried blood spots using a Chelex-100 protocol. Mutations in pfcrt (K76T), pfmdr1 (N86Y), and dhfr (N51I, C59R, S108N) were detected by allele-specific PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Results revealed that 61% of isolates carried the pfcrt K76T mutation, while 47% harbored at least one dhfr mutation associated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance. The findings highlight the persistence of resistance alleles in the North Central region and support the need for continued molecular surveillance as artemisinin-based combination therapies are scaled up. Keywords: Plasmodium falciparum, drug resistance, molecular markers, pfcrt, Plateau State.