MALARIA

MICROBIOLOGY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Six major species of Plasmodium cause nearly all cases of human disease: P. falciparum, P. vivax, two morphologically identical sympatric species of P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi.

P. falciparum, the cause of most cases of severe disease and most deaths, predominates in Africa, New Guinea, and Hispaniola.
P. vivax is more common in Central America.
P. falciparum and P. vivax are equally prevalent in South America, the Indian subcontinent, eastern Asia, and Oceania.
P. ovale makes up <1% of isolates outside Africa.
P. malariae is found in most areas (especially throughout sub-Saharan Africa) but is less common.
P. knowlesi (the monkey malaria parasite) can reliably be identified only by molecular techniques and is present in Borneo and Southeast Asia.
Malaria is the most important parasitic disease in humans, causing ∼1200 deaths each day.

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