Mapping the global distribution and spread of the Plasmodium vivax -associated virus MaRNAV-1

Journal article

Matryoshka RNA virus 1 (MaRNAV-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 is widely dispersed throughout Southeast Asia. Our findings have both evolutionary and public health implications and can serve as the basis for future investigations in these fields.

Authors: Petrone, ME; Charon, J; Parry, RH; Grigg, MJ; Piera, KA

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Journal: Virus Evolution
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Article number: veag031
• Publication date: 2026-05-23
• Acceptance date: 2026-05-13
• DOI: 10.1093/ve/veag031
• EISSN: 2057-1577
• ISSN: 2057-1577
• Language: English
• Keywords: virus-host co-divergence; RNA virus; malaria