Vivax Malaria: Neglected and Not Benign

Abstract

Plasmodium vivax threatens almost 40% of the world's population, resulting in 132-391 million clinical infections each year. Most of these cases originate from Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, although a significant number also occurs in Africa and South America. Although often regarded as causing a benign and self-limiting infection, there is increasing evidence that the overall burden, economic impact, and severity of disease from P. vivax have been underestimated. Malaria control strategies have had limited success and are confounded by the lack of access to reliable diagnosis, emergence of multidrug resistant isolates, the parasite's ability to transmit early in the course of disease and relapse from dormant liver stages at varying time intervals after the initial infection. Progress in reducing the burden of disease will require improved access to reliable diagnosis and effective treatment of both blood-stage and latent parasites, and more detailed characterization of the epidemiology, morbidity, and economic impact of vivax malaria. Without these, vivax malaria will continue to be neglected by ministries of health, policy makers, researchers, and funding bodies.

The transcriptome of Plasmodium vivax reveals divergence and diversity of transcriptional regulation in malaria parasites

“…In all endemic areas except for Africa, P. vivax is often the dominant species, and at least 100 million cases are reported annually (2,3). Although vivax malaria is clinically less likely than P. falciparum to develop into a life threatening disease, it exerts a substantial toll on the individual's health and economic well being.…”

“…significantly to the burden of malaria (1,2). In all endemic areas except for Africa, P. vivax is often the dominant species, and at least 100 million cases are reported annually (2,3).…”

A closer look at multiple-clone Plasmodium vivax infections: detection methods, prevalence and consequences

“…Outside of Africa, P. vivax is the main cause of malaria morbidity, with an enormous, but largely overlooked, public health burden. Historically, P. vivax malaria has received little attention and limited funds for research and control, since it usually produces less severe symptoms than Plasmodium falciparum (Price et al 2007). With the recent emergence of drug resistance (Baird 2004) and increased virulence (Rogerson & Carter 2008) among P. vivax strains, considerable research efforts devoted to the study of this parasite are now underway.…”

Whole-genome sequencing and microarray analysis of ex vivo Plasmodium vivax reveal selective pressure on putative drug resistance genes

“…malaria | pvmrp M alaria research has tended to neglect Plasmodium vivax, the cause of 25-40% of malaria cases worldwide (1). Global eradication of malaria will depend on having effective therapies against this parasite, but experimental work is hampered by the lack of in vitro cultivation methods necessary for propagation and experimental manipulation (2).…”