Comments on the epidemiology and control of malaria in Brazil

Ecological Suitability and Spatial Distribution of Five Anopheles Species in Amazonian Brazil

“…9,10 Within Brazil, the incidence of malaria is almost exclusively (99.8% of the total number of cases) restricted to the Amazon Region, where a number of combined factors favor disease transmission and impair the use of standard control procedures. 11,12 Approximately 100 species of Anopheles occur in the Neotropical Region 13 with 29 species in Latin America confirmed or potential human malaria vectors.…”

A Reduced Risk of Infection with Plasmodium vivax and Clinical Protection against Malaria Are Associated with Antibodies against the N Terminus but Not the C Terminus of Merozoite Surface Protein 1

“…Although a few studies indicate that some cross-protection between Plasmodium vivax, the most widely distributed human malaria parasite, and P. falciparum, the most virulent species, does occur (33), immunity in malaria is mostly species specific; thus, it is likely that a vaccine against P. falciparum will not cross-protect against P. vivax. Progress is being made to develop P. vivax vaccines per se (for a review, see reference 2); however, to date there are no prospective studies associating human immune responses to any P. vivax antigen with clinical protection.The history of malaria in Brazil has been punctuated with epidemics associated with migration movements of nonimmune population to areas where malaria is endemic (20,30,36). Previous studies done in these epidemiological settings showed that Plasmodium infection was always associated with symptoms, and clinical protection was not observed (27).…”

“…The history of malaria in Brazil has been punctuated with epidemics associated with migration movements of nonimmune population to areas where malaria is endemic (20,30,36). Previous studies done in these epidemiological settings showed that Plasmodium infection was always associated with symptoms, and clinical protection was not observed (27).…”

Antibodies anti Bloodstream and Circumsporozoite Antigens (Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae/P. brasilianum) in Areas of Very Low Malaria Endemicity in Brazil

“…After having been controlled to a major extent in the forties and fifties, its incidence has been increasing since the sixties. In 1970, 52,000 cases of malaria were recorded, rising to 400,000 cases in 1985 (Tauil 1986). In 1992, a total of 577,098 malaria cases were officially recorded in Brazil, 99.3% of these coming from the Amazon region.…”