The Duffy blood group and malaria prevalence in Gambian West Africans

Abstract Erythrocytes from 1,168 donors, comprising almost the entire populations of two rural Gambian villages, have been tested for Duffy blood group antigens using antisera to both Fy a and Fy b . All tests were negative. Blood film examination of the same samples showed complete absence of Plasmodium vivax parasitaemia, but infections with P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale were observed. The findings are consistent with the view that the Duffy-negative phenotype, FyFy, constitutes the basis of innate resistance towards infection with P. vivax but not towards infection with the other plasmodial species.