The Neglected Malaria
7FACTS ABOUT MALARIA VIVAX
MALARIA CAUSED BY
THE PARASITE PLASMODIUM VIVAX
P. VIVAX MALARIA HAS THE WIDEST
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION IN THE WORLD
HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN A NEGLECTED DISEASE
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF MALARIA CAUSED BY PLASMODIUM VIVAX IN 2019
THERE ARE 5 SPECIES OF PARASITES THAT CAUSE MALARIA IN HUMANS: PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM
PLASMODIUM VIVAX PLASMODIUM OVALE PLASMODIUM MALARIAE
is the second most common cause of malaria in humans
PLASMODIUM KNOWLESI
Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
CONTRARY TO WHAT WAS ONCE BELIEVED
P. VIVAX ALSO CAUSES
DEATH AND
DISEASE SEVERITY
AND HAS DEVELOPED RESISTANCE TO CHLOROQUINE AND OTHER DRUGS
P. VIVAX
CAN LIE DORMANT IN THE LIVER FOR WEEKS, MONTHS AND EVEN YEARS THIS LATENT FORM OF THE PARASITE,
CALLED THE HYPNOZOITE, CAN CAUSE RELAPSE EVEN A LONG TIME AFTER INFECTION
RESPONSIBLE FOR A LARGE PART OF THE DISEASE BURDEN OF VIVAX MALARIA ONE OF THE MAIN GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH A MAJOR OBSTACLE TO THE ERADICATION OF MALARIA P. VIVAX
EVOLVED CRYPTIC ERYTHROCYTIC NICHES
IN THE SPLEEN AND BONE MARROW THESE CRYPTIC NICHES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHRONIC ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTIONS
BLOOD STAGE PARASITES THAT TRANSMIT P. VIVAX MALARIA DEVELOP BEFORE CLINICAL SYMPTOMS APPEAR
THE SPLEEN HARBOURS MORE THAN 95% OF THE PARASITE BIOMASS DURING THESE INFECTIONS
THEREFORE THE DISEASE
IS PROPAGATED BY APPARENTLY HEALTHY PEOPLE WHO ARE INFECTED
=
+ NO BIOMARKERS PRESENTLY AVAILABLE ANOTHER MAJOR OBSTACLE TO MALARIA ELIMINATION
Infected person without symptoms
Mosquito
P. VIVAX MALARIA RESEARCH IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT
BECAUSE NO ONE HAS SUCCEEDED IN GROWING THE PARASITE IN THE
LABORATORY
It will not be possible to eradicate malaria until the problem of P. vivax is properly addressed For more information see www.isglobal.org
GRAPHIC DESIGN BY RACHEL JILL PAPERNICK
New infections