Plasmodium knowlesi —a new challenge in the Roll Back Malaria Program?
Oil palm plantation in Malaysia: Such land-use change may be affecting malaria transmission. Photo courtesy of Yusmar Yahaya (http://www.flickr.com/photos/leafbug/4880638055/sizes/m/)
Mention of malaria often conjures images of infants hospitalized in Africa. Although most deaths from malaria are children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa, there are many different types of malaria that put over half of the world’s population at risk in subtropical and tropical regions worldwide.
There have historically been four species of Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria humans. P. falciparum is the most lethal species that infects humans, whereas P. vivax is the most widespread. P. vivax and P. ovale also cause clinical symptoms and decreased economic potential in certain regions.